Arrow Hunt
by Mako Streak
Summary: Arrow Hunt is a happy,lighthearted and goodpaced tale of a viera named Kayi,her mentor Starkin and her friend Carlos.When her clan leave on a battle trek, she has misplaced her regular arrows with Cupid's Love Arrows. Finished!
1. Kayi! Where are you?

Mako: Well, hello, reader, I got a brilliant inspiration for a new story. This is a simpler, lighter, less serious story than my main story, Things are Different Now. Basically, it starts out with a view of an old bangaa, Starkin. He's a retired Dragoon-turned-Bishop that is now the bodyguard and mentor of a noble's daughter, Kayi. Well, keep reading, friend, and enjoy!

Oh yeah, and if anyone can offer sewing tips on making plushie bangaas or can offer ideas for vegan materials, feel free to leave that in the review too.

-Mako

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"Kayi?"Starkin snapped his staff quickly, his rough, slightly gaunt face turning upwards at the eyebrows. The old bangaa had been searching for the young viera Kayi for a long time. Multiple engagements had left his gait wobbly and unsure, like old, brittle stumps. He was often harrassed because of it- not because that the ancient, quiet, shy, bangaa was a Bishop (no one he knew laughed at a Bishop) but because the staff wasn't only used for spells, it was for walking. _Old nu mou, _they called him. _Old human, decrypt bangaa, lame chocobo... _It could have been worse. No one dared tease the mentor and bodyguard of the lady Morgana's daughter Kayi. "Kayi!" he called again.

The young viera popped out from the bushes, tackling the bishop, who fell to the ground with an "Oof!"

Kayi stared down at the fallen bangaa cheerfully. "I know I'm not allowed in the bushes. But Kayalie is driving me, you know, insane," the Assasin-in-training explained, adjusting her head wrap.

Starkin looked up. "Don't take it out on your old bangaa, Cricket, I'm old and you know it."

"You're not old, Starkin! You can kick the butts of _everyone_ I know!" Kayi hopped around happily, helping the old mento up.

Starkin considered the sky for a moment. "Tell that to everyone elsse. Where's Carlos?"

"He had his studies," Kayi replied promptly, referring to her moogle best friend.

Starkin shakily stood upright like a shaky, thin stick. "Yess, I know. I wass sseeing if you knew too, Cricket."

Kayi smiled. No one else dared call her Cricket. "Are you here to take me back?" she asked dejectedly.

Starkin hid a smile on his wrinkled old face. "Your parentss want you."

Kayi, although she snarled, did not resist and started walking in the direction of the great noble-house gates.

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"Kupo, Kayi, you're finally back!" A happy moogle bounded down the halls. "Kupo, I finished my studies early," the Juggler explained.

"Great- where are my parents?" Kayi asked.

"Lady Morgana, you mean? Or your father?"

Starkin's staff whipped out before Kayi's opening mouth. It only leftthe breezy shadow of a sting, not like the times he chose to forcibly discipline her. "No, Cricket," he said to Kayi. And to Carlos, Starkin replied, "To Lady Morgana, if you pleasse."

Kayi glanced apologetically at her best friend. "Well, our scandel has been uncovered,"Kayi sighed.

Carlos grinned. "I had no part save for obeying the word of my Lady-in-training. I am unaccounatble," he said, his white face grinning.

Starkin's staff whipped out. Kayi and Carlos saw nothing, not even the movement of the bangaa. They didn't even know what happened until twin thin welts appeared along their noses.

"Kupo-Kupo-Kupo! That hurt!" Carlos moaned.

"Starkin, that wasn't nice!" Kayi wailed, clutching her nose.

Starkin stepped back to observe his work. "Hmm, not bad. I ussed to be a Dragoon in my warrior dayss, you know. Mastered everything there wass to know about being a Dragoon. Bessides, what you did probably wassn't half as nice as that sting either."

Kayi looked up with the saddest eyes before continuing down the corridor, Carlos whimpering behind and Starkin hobbling after.

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Okay, how was that?Well, sorry if it seemed a bit too serious and deep- I tried my best to make this a more light-hearted story. Well, next chapter coming up in a few minutes! Enjoyed it? Please, even if you didn't, leave a review. No flames.


	2. The Lady Morgana

Lady Morgana was Queen Remedi's special friend. Quite a pretty viera too- showed no signs she could have been the mother of a pair of twins. She too, was an Assassin, and that never wore down even after the marriage to the nobleman Karus. The sword was a fine piece of work that Kayi had always admired everyday- the blade being polished on her mother's lap like a baby was ornate, elegant, but deadlier, quicker,and stealthier than even Starkin's staff. Kayi loved stroking the silver red-tinged blade like a pet. Indeed, instead of any lap animals like dwarf monsters that were all the rage with the nobles, Lady Morgana had a sword as a companion and pet.

"Kayi, Carlos. It seems that Bruno has a complaint about your comduct, you two." The Alchemist with a very angry face was standing near the throne holding a basket of vials.

"Yes, as a matter of face, I do." Bruno's age rivaled even Starkin. He pulled out a vial. "Does this look familiar to you?" the nu mou asked, teasing the bottle in front of Kayi's nose. "Does this ring a bell?"

Kayi opened her eyes wide innocently. "Sir, I have never seen this bottle-"

"Tell our Alchemist the truth!" Morgana bellowed, slapped the side of the fancy chair angrily. It was impossibleto describe in words how terribly angry Lady Morgana could be, but anyways, Kayi did not chance at lying to the nu mou again.

"Actually, it looks real familiar," she admitted slowly.

"Where have you seen it?"Bruno asked calmly.

Kayi glanced at her mother. One glimpse told her that a lie would mean a serious beating. "Yes, I've seen it before, I believe.Your lab."

"Where in my lab?"

"I don't remember where."

Bruno scrutinized Kayi's seeminly innocent expresion. "Well, where in my lab? In the basket where you two forcibly took it from?" the Alchemist asked quietly.

Carlos nodded. "Yes- how did you- whoops!" He covered his mouth.

Kayi smiled innocously. "We were only borrowing it! Educational purposes!"

A shadow of a frown crossed the ancient nu mou's face. "Are you sure, Kayi? What about the arrows you were dipping it in?"

Morgana suddenly intervened. "Bruno, I believe that I _will _handle this situation myself. You may leave if you please, or stay to hear yourself out."

Bruno adjusted his hat. "I will see to it that she does not exaggerate too much."

Her mother turned her steely eyes on Kayi. "Explain?"

Kayi shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it wasn't much, Mother. Me n' Carlos were expirementing with potions, and we tried to make a sharper-shooting arrow. So we borrowed a vial (there were more, no difference made anyways) to try to use. "

"And that vial?"

Bruno interuppted. "Love potion. I even sent out a request at the pub saying that I needed advice. It will make me famous forever."

Morgana's expression softened. "I see. You were trying to get a creature to fall for you, I suppose? A human?"

Kayi's face flushed. "Mother! No, it was just an expirement-"

"JUST AN EXPIREMENT?!?" Bruno suddenly started waving his mace around. "JUST AN EXPIREMENT? WELL GUESS WHAT, LITTLE VIERA?" he bellowed. "THAT WAS AN _UNTESTED_POTION! COULD HAVE KILLED EVERYONE!"

Morgana had made the policies and the consequences for Kayi's misbehavior clear when her daughter was a mere little toddler.And Kayi knew that anything that could hurt someone was strictly zero-tolerence.

"Kayi, that was stealing and inappropriate behavior. I do believe that... The consequence is that you will have to help Bruno out until I feel that your sentence is served," Morgana said in a tone used to deal with disputing village heads.

Kayi could have sworn the now-stoic nu mousmirked.

"I will make her pay her sentence, but what about Carlos?"

"He will be helping you out too, Bruno. I am terribly sorry."

Kayi's brown face was completely white now. Her? Helping Bruno the old Alchemist?Horrors!

Bruno seemed pleased. "Well thank you, Lady Morgana. I believe this expierience shall... Improve upon their behavior," the Alchemist said, looking extremely pleased.

Kayi's horror was mirrored upon Carlos's white face.


	3. The Cleanup starts

Kayi and Carlos reluctantly followed old Bruno down and down the winding staircases to his laboratory.

"My new helpers," the nu mou said. "You may start by cleaning out the floateye eye globes. Careful not to harm the jellies."

Zombies would have loved the laboratory and settled down, calling it home. Indeed, a vampire coffin lay in the corner. It seemed to be used often, but by who?

"Eech!" Carlos cried, stepping out of a large red blob.

"Did you step on a jellie?" Bruno's voice called.

"Yes, kupo! I stepped in the jellie! I admit! I squished it! It's dead, kupo! DEAD!" Carlos screamed. He was basically crying. "Can we go now?"

Kayi saw no reason to be afraid. Until she saw the floateye eye globes. They were the huge glowing eyes in the glass orbs in the end of the corridor- a huge number of them, each staring out with the esscence of its former owner.That wasn't what scared her. No one had cleaned it for, say, maybe a few millenia.

"Oh, great, Carlos! Let's try finish before next year!"


	4. The Cleanup is called a day

It was impossible to tell time in Bruno's subterrean laboratory, but when Kayi and Carlos emerged panting and covered in dust, they didn't have to blink in the bright, shining sunlight because there was none.

Lady Morgana waited, her sword sheathed and her arms crossed. "Well, I can clearly see that Bruno gave you two quite a workout."

Carlos and Kayi only nodded, gasping for breath.

"Was it enough to show you the consequences of thievery?"

"We didn't- ow!" Kayi cried as Carlos kicked her.

"Yes, kupo, we learned our lesson."

Kayi glared.

Morgana seemed pleased. Her long ears twitched slightly. "Well, I can say, you two look much worse for the wear. Kayalie, by the way, has alreay left with her clan," the Lady said.

Kayalie was Kayi's older sister. She had loved her clan and loved engagements and loved fighitng overall. "Such a thrill," she replied whenever Kayi asked why she loved engagements enough to be constantly preoccupied with them.The difference between Kayi and her Sniper sisters' weaponskept the two apart, as while Kayi fought with a sword like her mother, Kayalie took after their Hunter father and used a bow.

"Why?" Kayi asked. "Just curious."

"Come along now, you two," Morgana said suddenly, looking out at the new moon in the sky. She seemed very afraid. "Let's go... To the Main Hall."

"Why-"

Morgana's eyes flashed. "JUST COME ON!" she roared, sending Kayi and Carlos jumping and hurrying after her.

Behind them, a soft moaning cry was heard from Bruno's laboratory.

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"Mother, why did we-"

"Your sister, Kayi.She left on the trek with her clan," Morgana said, interrupting.

"Kupo, Lady, about why-"

"Oh, Bruno hates being disturbed whenhe wants to do expirements-"

"But we were all the way-"

"Never mind. Anyways, Kayi, your sister has already left on her Great Clan Trek. She was in a great hurry, and nearly forgot her bow and took the wrong one, but she wanted to say goodbye." Morgana turned from her pacing. "You know that Kayalie won't be back for long."

Kayi was delighted. "Yes, Mother, I know. Are we dismissed?"

Morgana hid a smile. Her youngest daughter was so much like herself as a child. "Yes, butkeep away from Bruno's lab, okay? He was complaining about even Starkin, who's waiting for you near your room. Don't keep him waiting."

Kayi and her moogle best friend were gone in a flash.

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"What's the Great Clan Trek, kupo?" Carlos asked on the way to where Starkin waited.

"Oh, it's nothing really. Kayalie and her clan are participating. It's where clans travel to some remote location. Each clan in the game have a card, which you use to find the secret location. First three clans win, and to get cards, Kayalie said something about beating down any clan in your path. But what if you keep on getting repeats?" Kayi asked.

"Kupo, I think that Kayalie and her clan are coming in first. She was in a hurry, wasn't she?"

"I don't know," Kayi replied. "I didn't see."

"Well, kupo, I saw," Carlos said. "She was rushing everywhere. Picked the the wrong bow twice before getting her own bow," he said.

"Well," Starkin's voice boomed. "Well, Bruno sssure did a number on you two."

"Kupo, he did. I don't look forward to going back, kupo," Carlos called as the ex-Dragoon came intosight.

"Starkin! Can we go play really quick before bedtime, just a little while?"Kayi asked.

Starkin blew smoke through his nose and hobbled over very slowly. "It's raining."

Kayi flinched in guilt. She had been so exubreant about getting away from Bruno and his subterrean world that she had forgotten- rain made the old bangaa's arthirtis act up. "Actually, I'm really tired. Let's just go to the library or something," she quickly said, saving Starkin his embarresment of admitting that he could barely even walk.


	5. Father came home

_Kayi, the world-class Assassin trained her sword forward. Her opponents were boars, each big enough to be a threat to a bangaa. But at the sight of her gleaming blade and her reputation as the best hunter of her kind, they started running downhill as Kayi gave chase-_

"Kayi! Quit playing with your food and put your plate back down!" Lady Mogana snapped sharply. She seemed a bit more agitated and more nervous than usual. "I knew that _I _should have went to inspect the worm instead of him!" her mother muttered.

Starkin, behind Kayi, nodded and blew ice through his nose.

"Sorry Mother," Kayi said, setting the knife down and forgetting her fantasy of being a fully-fledged Assasin-hunter.

"After breakfasst," Starkin said. "After breakfasst, it will be time for you two to ressume your dutiess with Bruno, I believe."

Kayi forked a few more sausages. Well, it could have been worse than just helping Bruno a bit. "I can't finish the food," Kayi declared, standing up. "Starkin, ya want one?"

The bangaa only gave a wheeze and pointed to his stomach. Kayi again cringed in guilt, forgetting that her guardian had a stomach disorder that only allowed him to eat simple fiberous grain food. "Sorry, Starkin. I forgot."

"Kupo!" Carlos came out of nowhere. "Kupo..." he panted. "Lord's back- I think he needs you!" Carlos yelled, but didn't get to finish. The Lady Morgana was vanished down the hall. Carlos turned to Kayi. "You may want to come too, kupo."

Kayi raced down the hall after the moogle.

"How did this happen?" Her mother's voice echoed down the corridor. She meant it to sound harsh and angry, but it ended up piteous, like a puppy whose playmate's entrails were found hanging on a tree.

"Lady, the worm turned on him when he tried to Capture it or kill it."

"The worm...?"

"Captured, Lady. A valuable creature."

"I see."

Kayi entered the room. The sight sent shivers up her spine and sobs up her throat. Her Hunter father lay on a medical bed, unconcious, unmoving save for his chest, which rose and fell in a ragged manner. He was completely covered in slashes and huge bruises. Kayi stepped forward.

"Mother..?"

"Go away, Kayi." Morgana did not turn around from where she knelt.

Kayi nodded, and stepped just outside the door to eavesdrop.

"So the worm injured him... Will he live?" Her voice never shook.

A nu mou's voice, probably a healer. "Yes, Lady, I believe he will survive. My team is the best of the best, Lady, we can handle anything," he assured her.

"I'll stay."

"Lady, it's best if you take a sleeping drau-"

"I said, I'll stay. If he wakes up... He will need me."

"Understood."

Kayi fled to where Bruno was waiting. The nu mou Alchemist was completely disheveled, and blood covered his face.

"Bruno, what-"

Starkin hobbled in, interrupting. "Go help Bruno. It seems that something has happened."

Bruno was maniacal as he led her down to his laboratory.

"Kayi! Your sister!"

"My _sister?_ What happened-"

"No,Kayalie's safe and happy and COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS to what she has done!" Bruno yelled.

"What? Is it about Father-"

"No! Much, much worse!" Bruno bellowed, slowing his pace so that Kayi could catch up. Starkin's artheritis and muscle disorder had worsened enough so that he did not dare climb down. When they finally reached the lab, he held up a vial, the one that Kayi and Carlos had stolen.

"Remember this?" he demanded.

"Yes, it's the one-"

"I know what you did with it!" Bruno roared. Carlos and Kayi flinched.

"You found out?" Kayi asked in a very small voice.

"Yes, you dipped arrows in it to make love arrows! Like the little love sprite that shoots arrows at one's heart to make you fall in love with the next intelligent at least human-level intelligence you see. That was a special feature I made."

"The love sprite who?" Kayi asked.

"Cupid."

"So, what are we doing kupo?" Carlos asked, totally ignoring the whole story about the Cupid Arrows.

Bruno opened the locked latch to the door. He picked up two objects. One was a quivver, the other was a bow. "Kayalie took the set that you two dipped in my love potion," Bruno explained. There was no mistaking the accusation in his voice. "Your mother clearly is in no state to go- why she loves the Hunter I don't know. So, it's up to you to go on the Great Clan Trek."

"Huh? But we're not part of a clan-"

Bruno waved her off. "Did it ever occur to you two that I have known Starkin when he was a dashing young Warrior? Even before he became a Dragoon? Well, we were clanmates. I tracked down the last remaining still in fighting condition as well as any other kids that want to come." Bruno opened another door. "Never tell a soul about this entrance," he hissed, and dragged Kayi and Carlos straight through a wall.


	6. Clan Crystal Bane isn't completely dead

Kayi and Carlos blinked in the sunlight.

"Hmm, it takess you three longer than a handicapped bangaa to get down to here," Starkin said. He leaned on only one staff, his favorite, a plain staff divided into sections and had a crystal orb on top of it like a grapefruit on a pole.

"Starkin! How-" Kayi was just saying. "Did you find out about the Love-"

Starkin had a new addition-the old bangaa had two leg braces."I know many thingss," he answered cryptically.

"Well, Starkin, do you remember our glory days as part of the Crystal Bane Clan?" Bruno asked.

Starkin didn't reply. The glazed-over, wistful, and extremely regretful and sorrowful expression was all Kayi needed to tell that the "glory days" were the highlight of her bodyguard's life.

"Well," the nu mou said. "Well, Starkin, our Dragoon, our Crystal Bane Clan is back." Bruno motioned towards the trees.

Sixcreatures stepped out. The first to appear was a Thief. He was just as young as ancient Bruno was old.

"And who is this?" Starkin asked. "Sstrange, you look familiar."

Bruno smiled, his face wrinkling. "This, Starkin, this is Layfette, son of our comrade Willy the Ninja."

Layfette raced forward to greet Starkin with the eagerness of a young boy. "Sir Starkin! My father told me all about you-"

"Hush, boy, we'll all explain when everyone comes out."

A new figure appeared. A viera Red Mage stepped out, holding her rapier proudly.

"Starkin, Maria, daughter of Sonya, who cannot be with us today due to her illness."

The third figure to appear was a middle-aged Defender bangaa. Or at least he seemed middle-aged until he approached and was seen to be only a tad bit younger than Starkin.

"Desssmon!" Starkin exclaimed. They embraced. "I thought you were dead."

"Not dead, just living peacefully. But that can be the same thing," the old Defender said. Starkin may have shed tears at his old comrade's arrival, but Kayi wouldn't have seen.

The fourth was a moogle, a Gunner. He was young and as fluffy as a dust bunny.

"Lief, Peter's son," Bruno said.

The final sixth warrior came forth in a very dignified manner, which, despite her old age, seemed easy to keep up. An Assassin a little bit younger than Starkin came out of the trees.

"Layla," Starkin said softly. The Assassin kissed him softly and embraced him. "Many yearsss."

Now Kayi saw that the Glory Days weren't the only highlight of her old mentor's life. Layla was just as equal to the days, it seemed, when he still fought in Dragoon armor.

The Assassin seemed very sorrowful to see the braces and the lack of spears on Starkin. Layla held him for a while, then became self-conscious and back away.

"I believe that I've made our little reunion very clear. This, by the way, Sir Carlos the Juggler, and Lady Morgana's daughter, Kayi," Bruno said.

Three ancient gazes and three young ones pierced Kayi's mind. "Umm... Hello?" Kayi said softly. "Hi!"

Bruno broke the silence with a huge grin, the only genuine smile that Kayi had ever seen from the decrpyt old nu mou. "Anyone going to _frog out?_" he asked.

It was clearly an old insider joke, for the origanal members started laughing, until Starkin started to wheeze and cough.

"Starkin, you're getting _old,_" Desmon commented.

Starkin wheezed a last time and pointed to his leg braces. Kayi looked over at the older Assassin. Sorrow at Starkin's present condition prevailed on Layla's features.

"But you'll be coming, right?" Carlos asked. "You'll be coming with us, okay?"

Starkin nodded. "I hurried to finish my leg bracesjust for this. I'm not going let the metal burns go to waste."

"Excellent! We're all good!" Bruno exclaimed. The old Alchemist looked happier than Kayi had ever thought possible. "Yes, we're old, we got all sorts of diesieses, but Crystal Bane Clan's going to come back."

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A/N: Er, I'm starting to lose track of names. If anyone reading this can leave a name, specie, and job in a review, it'll be great. Thanks!

-MakoStreak


	7. Walking!

"Where are we going?" Kayi asked again.

"We're tracking down Kayalie's Clan Sharhart. They're speedy travellers, but they didn't bother covering their tracks," Layla said.

"Oh."

Walking, walking.

Walking, walking.

Walking, walking.

Walking, walking.

"When do you think we'll reach them?" Kayi asked.

Walking, walking.

"Maybe two moons.

Walking, walking.

"They're fast, aren't they?"

"Sstarkin, make your little girl sshut up!" someone yelled, who Kayi assumed to be Dasmon.

"Kayi, Layla's had her share of talking. Jusst talk to Bruno when you want to know ssomething," Starkin said. And to Dasmon, he snapped, "She's not my little girl, I'm just her bodyguard!"

Kayi shut up.

Layla looked relieved a bit happier.

Dasmon didn't bother rebutting.

Walking, walking.

Walking, walking.

The sun was setting in the sky by the time Bruno suddenly stopped.

"Wait."

Kayi's keen hearing picked up footsteps-a clan. Layla could judge where they were and where they were headed- at this rate, there would be an engagement, the older Assassin had reported.

"Get ready to engage, kupo!" Carlos said happily but nervously.


	8. Descision and Morals

The clan came out of the woods, laughing. The moogle in charge (a Mog Knight) held two near-anitlaw cards. It was obvious that they had been victorious.

They stopped when they saw the clan. "May I ask who you are, kupo?" the Mog Knight in charge asked politely.

A Juggler peeked out."What are they doing in the Trek? They're _old!"_ he exclaimed, silencing at a glare from the Mog Knight.

"Please, kupo, excuse Tommy. He is young and insolent. Are you part of the Clan Trek, kupo?" he asked.

Bruno scowled. "Yes, we are. Should we fight you?"

The Mog Knight seemed very, very surprised.

_Kupo, what are they thinking? They're probably those ex-clanners escaped from an insane asylem!_ "Kupo, I don't know... You are, well, quite wise." That was the nice way of saying that you were a senile old creature.

Bruno scowled. "Yes, we're wise. We used to be clanners too."

The Mog Knight was teteering on the edge of a very thing blade.

"Kupo, c'mon, let's just get their card!" Tommy exclaimed before the Mog Knight in charge glared.

"Okay, kupo, I admit. It's against my morals to attack defenseless individuals, no offense meant. It's just that you are quite aged," he said.

Starkin glared and hobbled forward.

"And hadicapped, kupo!" Tommy said again before ducking a cuff sent in his direction.

Starkin glared. "We accept your engagement," he said quietly. "Let usss begin."


	9. The Engagement is Decided

Mack the Mog Knight wasn't too sure about battling. After all, they were probably a bunch of elders escaped from the insane asylem. But if the bangaa was completely set on having an engagement, let it be that way then.

"Fine." A Judge appeared out of nowhere.Mack's side of the field gathered in two lines, four creatures in each line. There was a bit of dispute when Tommy decided that he was old enough to be in the front lines. One of the Gunners solved the problem with a well-aimed Silenshot.

Desmon stood in front of everyone else. Then, Layla and Starkin stood behind him in a triangular position, Bruno between the two, and everyone else not knowing where to go.

"Hey, where do we go?" Kayi asked.

Starkin, with a bit of tugging and pulling, arranged Layfette, Marie, and Lief into the formation. But there was a spot where someone was missing.

"Zhiraz," Layla sighed softly. "What ever happened to him anyways?"

Desmon turned around. "He's missing his arm. Now he's a schoolteacher in a rural area."

"Oh."

The Judge held up his hand and blew the whistle. Kayi dodged the spittle flying from the small metal object.

"Geez, kupo, that whistle's a weapon all by itself!" Carlos exclaimed softly to Kayi.

Layfette started running forward right away.

"Layfette, no! Even your father was not sso foolish!" Starkin yelled, pulling him away from the bullets that whizzed where his head had been before.

The Gadgeteer on Mack's side opened his Pandora's box. A Silver Disk swirled out, and the coin flipped. It slowed until you could see the markings on its side...

Mack's side of the battle.

"Oh, kupo, crap!" the Gadgeteer cried, running around blindly. "Kupopo- Ow..."

Marie twitched. "Starkin, can we charge now? You know, Momma always told me that Clan Crystal-"

"Yess, we ussed to charge. Assk Bruno."

"Well, Mack is immune to status conditions," Bruno said. "Hold on."

Mack the Mog Knight never felt anything. All he knew was one moment he was a Mog Knight, the next, he was a frog.

"Ribbit.." he croaked miserbly.

Dasmon suddenly lunged forward. Despite his old age, he slammed straight into Mack-frog, throwing him backwards.

"Okay. Let's not charge for obvious reasons," Layfette said, drawing a glare from Starkin.

The orb on the staff glowed. Kayi thought that, for the flicker of an instant, she saw a huge, keen spearhead. But as the glow receded, a whirlwind picked up, throwing the blind moogles everywhere.

"I believe that this battle is decided, kupo," Lief said happily, raising his gun.

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A/N: Erp, sorry if that was a tad bit boring. I'm telling the battle from standard battle-story, not the FFTA battle system. If anyone wants the standard battle system of FFTA, please tell me. Don't worry, there won't be very many battles.


	10. Tides

"Yay! I think we're winning!" Marie shouted, punching the air. Starkin only gave her a knowing glance.

"You'll never know truly if it's over," was all he said.

At that moment, A Maiden's Kiss suddenly flew though the air, landing with perfect accuracy on Mack the frog-conidtion's head. Mack was really, really, angry now.

"Attack!" he screamed, swinging the sword. Starkin didn't dodge. The blade caught him in the neck, and he fell to the ground with a loud "Omph!" The staff clattered to the ground.

Layla reacted first, swinging her sword, which Mack parried and countered, missing her only by a hair.Layfette and Maria formed a circle around Mack, Layla one-quarter completing it... Kayi suddenly realized that she would finish the circle while Lief, Bruno, and Dasmon held off any blows.

Mack was surrounded. He didn't like being outnumbered- he loved an equal fight though. But a Mog Knight always gave all one could- so he attacked, swinging his sword around in a circle, and feeling the blade knocking the Assassin's own sword to the ground.

"Crap!" Layla cursed and pulled out her bow. Dasmon came into the circle as Layla left to take over his duty.

Even though Mack was surrounded, he knew that his opponents were on the two extremes- two too old, two too young. He was just coming into his prime, though. He executed the swinging move again.

---

A whirlwind picked up again, this time summoned by Bruno. The moogles were ready for it, though. They gripped whatever they could hold on to, rendering the whirlwind a minor distraction. The tide was turning.

Lief shot as accurately as he could, hitting one moogle in the arm.

---

Layfette was knocked back as Mack suddenly charged.

"Hey! That wasn't fair- omph!" Marie's elbow knocked against him as she too was forced a few paces.

"Children..." Layla muttered, turning around and shooting an well-aimed arrow straight into the moogle's neck. He fell forward silently, landing on top of Layfette and Marie, who stood stock still, stunned. It was obvious that they had only battle training in arenas.

---

Bruno caught four rapidly-fired bullets in his chest as he fell down.

"Even bigger crap!" Layla cursed as she fired arrows and took to the trees nearby.

Dasmon turned around after Mack had fallen. He spotted Layla hopping on the branches like the old days and nearly smiled. Just like the old days! He knew what she was up to, alright. The Mage and the Gunner couldn't spot her, but the Black Mage had causeda small fire that was spreading after her, chasing her in the place of its creator. He saw the staff raise again...

He bellowed, drew his sword, and made a beserk rampant towards the trio of moogles. his shield was in front of him, and he was running at full speed, not breakneck, but enough so that a collision would be deadly. Even so, that was not his purpose, as the moogles hopped out of the way easily.

A few arrows and a Last Breath whipped out of the trees. Layla's aim had been true with two arrows- one Gunner and the Gadgeteer were hit.But the other Gunner and the Black Mage saw the blows meant for them coming and struck the arrows aside. A few dirty words were heard from the tree.

"Come on guys, we have them outnumbered!" Dason yelled, waving at Kayi and the younger members.

Kayi charged forward reluctantly, rolling to the ground to avoid bullets. Dasmon just stood there. Clearly he was testing to see if they could handle the two moogles. Kayi felt a strange obligation to lead the others. She drew the sword, its tip flashing in the sunlight, and charged.

----------

It's getting late. That's all for today. Anyways, I didn't want to make Clan Crystal Bane too goody-goody at first- I just wanted to surprise you with a different twist to the battle. The tides and stuff. I'm balancing my two stories now, so sorry that I cannot update as fast. But Winter Break's coming up- you can expect a big boom next week, coo!

-MakoStreak- thank you for reading and reviewing!


	11. Debate

Though outnumbered, the remained moogles gave a good fight. Layfette and Maria fell down as lightning bolts struck out of the sky. Carlos caught a bullet in his shoulder. Kayi tripped and fell.

Lief was amazingly quick, though. He somersaulted over his comrades and struck the Black Mage in the throat.

Kayi spat the dirt out of her face and charged the remaining Gunner down. He fell with a kupo, and not a milisecond after his head hit ground, the Judge blew the whistle.

"Engagement is decided! Clan Crystal Bane wins!" the Judge annouced.

A green aura settled on the field like a mist. When it evaporated, everyone in the battle was standing, dusting themselves off, orsheathing their weapons. Layla hopped out of the trees, stumbling as she landed and falling down.

"Damn! I thought I was young again for a moment."

Mack got up.

"Well, I can say that I was wrong to judge you as old and senile, kupo," Mack said.

Bruno coughed. "It's okay. We probably have had more experience than you. So it evens out."

Mack handed him a card. "Here, I believe that you have defeated us."

Bruno eyed it, then shook his head. "We are merely participating to keep from getting obsolete. Keep your card. It's yours."

Mack looked confused. "No, I cannot keep the card after we've been defeated," he said. After around a few long engagements worth of debating, Bruno finally relent.

"Fine then, we shall keep the card."

Mack nodded. "Well, Clan, it's been a pleasure battling you. May we ask your name?"

"We were Clan Crystal Bane," Bruno said.

The fear and shock on Mack's face was mirrored on every moogle's face. Tommy broke out in a scream and a run.

"We've been battling spirits! Run! Before they eat us!" the Gadgeteer yelled, screaming and following everyone else as they fled faster than moogles could run.

Layla grinned. "I'm sure I have a bit of explaining to do."


	12. Ghosts

Everyone turned to stare at Layla.

"Well," Layla admitted. "There was this one guy chasing all of us. So I decided to throw him off and wrote a news article Gossip about us being dead or too ill to move. Starkin, you were murdered, Bruno was exploded in a lab expirement, Dasmon was stabbed to death by an angry mob... And everyone else caught diesese and died."

"So, they thought they had been fighting ghosts?" Marie piped up.

Layla nodded. "Well, now we're just Clan Bane. In case the hunter is still alive."

"Well, I know we're all tired, but we need to get a move on.I believe that bellicousss Kayalie will jump at the chansse for an engagement," Starkin reported and began walking away. Everyone followed suite.


	13. The first victim

"Marche! What's up with you?" a viera voice called angrily.

"Epo- wait!" a boy's voice cried.

Kayi raced up the hill to see what the fuss was about.

"Clan Leader," the viear's voice said again. "Every since we engaged with Clan Sharkari, you've been acting so weird!"

Kayi waited for everyone to catch up before running over to the action.

There was a blonde boy running after a pretty viera Archer, and a very angry-looking Soldier next to the viera.

"Ah-hem!" Kayi coughed.

The Archer looked up and scowled. "Sorry, we're not in any condition to engage. Lover-boy here-" the viera jerked a thumb-claw at the blonde boy, "is falling head-over-heels over me, who already has a boyfriend. Can't you help us?"

By that time, even Starkin and his arthirtis had gotten over the knoll.

"What's the problem?" Bruno asked as Dasmon and Layla pinned the boy down.

"His name's Marche. He seems to have fallen in love with my girlfriend," the Soldier said angrily.

"Did you ever get shot by a viera Sniper named Kayalie?" Bruno asked Marche.

The blonde nodded. "Yes!We just engaged a day ago, somewhere else!"

Everyone scowled, and Lief and Carlos hopped in for a closer look.

The rest of the boy's clan returned. They were a small clan, and the only members were him, the angry Soldier, the viera, and the returning members- a bangaa White Monk, a bangaa Warrior, and moogle Black mage, and a White Mage nu mou.

"Kupo, sorry, Marche, couldn't find any help. We even tried bribery, kupo," the moogle reported, then turned to Kayi. "Kupo?"

"OMG, I love you, Eponine!" the boy called as the viera scowled.

"I think the arrow was poisssoned or something. Now he'sss gone insssane," the White Monk observed.

"No, not poisoned. Well, actually yes, sort of," Bruno explained. "We're hunting down Kayalie, because she took the love arrows someone cough cough Kaylie, cough cough stole. Now she's wrecking havoc, and she doesn't even know it!"

Everyone was silent.Everyone began laughing.

Layla burst the bubble of an idea that they were insane.

"kupokupokupo!" the Black Mage laughed. "HAHA! I think that you guys may have- haha!"

"Look, we're old, we're infected with all sorts of dieseses," the Assassin bellowed, picking the moogle up by his collar and dropped him. Layla walked over to the White Monk and yelled straight into his young face- "WELL GUESS WHAT?!?!? DON'T BELIEVE US? WE GOT A LITTLE DOSE RIGHT HERE ON MY SWORD, AND IF YOU'D DARE TEST IT OUT-"that was all she needed to threaten.

"We believe you," the Warrior said, sobering. "Well, isss there an antidote?"

Bruno pushed Layla aside. "Before Kayi here stole it, I didn't have the timeto develope an antidote- for now, it's premanent. Sorry, but I'll try to find one as soon as we tell Kayi," he promised.

The Soldier placed a hand on the viera's shoulder. "Eponine, you're over-reacting. See? He says that an antidote is possible!"

Bruno shook his head and scowled. "Stripling, I never said that an antidote was possible!"

Eponine the viera paled. "You mean- I'm stuck in the same clan as Lover-boy there?"

"Yes, for now."

"Aw crap!" Eponine yelled, kicking Marche where Dasmon held him down to the ground.

"Should I releassse him?" the Defender asked.

"Wait," the White Monk said. "Me n' Mulgio'll hold him down." Dasmon held Marche down while the White Monk and Mulgio pinned the boy to the ground.

"Oh, thankss. Ow, my back!" Dasmon moaned, stretching his back. A few snaps were heard before Dasmon finally returned his back to decent condition.

"Conssider yourssself lucky," Starkin grumbled. "You don't have musssle dissorders, back problemsss, bone diesese, _and _arthiritis," the old bangaa grumbled.

"And you're still in the Clan Trek?" the Soldier asked, awed. "Wow, you must have many years on you!"

"Well, where was Clan Sharkari leaving to?" Layla asked.

Mulgio thought for a while, and as he did, relaxed his grip. The boy threw himself forward, knocking the White Mage off, and threw his arms around Eponine.

"Crap! Get off me!" Eponine snarled, ducking away behind the Soldier.

Mulgio pinned him down. "Monte, can you just hold that sside down?" the Warrior asked.

Bruno observed the situation under a critical eye. "I'm sorry, it's all Kayi's fault. But I'll try make an antidote, but for now, just try to knock him off as many times as possible, Eponine. Make sure he knows you aren't interested in him but your boyfriend," the nu mou recommended.

"Clan Shakariwent Wesst," the White Monk, Monte, said. "They had two cards, not including the one they took from uss. But we sstill have three!"

Bruno bowed. "We are sorry about all the trouble the arrows have caused. If there is an antidote, I'll contact you...."

"Clan Nutsy," Marche said.

Kayi's ears perked at the strange name. "Wha- Clan Nutsy is a strange name!"

Eponine scowled. "You don't know how much trouble we get itno because of that name. I'm telling you, WE WERE DRUNK!"

Everyone nodded. "We were drunk."

---------------

A/N:If you're also reading Things are Different Now, then you'll realize something- that's my clan! My origanal rooster, at least... Well, thank you for all the names and species- don't worry, they will appear in the story.Any other units are very, very, very welcome.

-Mako


	14. What can you tell me?

They headed west.

"Layla?" Kayi asked when they stopped to rest, "you used to know Starkin?"

Layla looked up from where the Assassin was polishing the fancy blade. "I'll tell you about the young Starkin if you tell me about the old Starkin first."

Kayi sat down beside her. "Well, he's my bodyguard. I'm Lady Morgana's daughter, and I can't tell you how many times he's saved my life. We all have our own bodyguards, and Starkin has a grudge against my sister's."

Layla's ears were wrinkled and drooping from age. There was a small cataract in one eye, and the battle scars were there instead of wrinkles. "I mean about him personally."

Kayi thought hard. She thought she knew the old Bishop very well, but Layla was forcing her to confront the truth that she barely knew anything about him. "Well, he doesn't like asparagus, and he has all sorts of muscle and bone disorders, and arthiritis. The healer says he's developing cataracts, and possibly respitory problems... He's pretty healthy for all his conditions, though."

Layla's eyes were impossible to read. Or nearly impossible. Glimmers of nostalgia glowed though. "I mean, has he taken a mate of a girlfriend or something?"

Kayi shook her head frocibly. "No, he doesn't like that kind of stuff," Kayi assured her. "Now, I've told you all I know about him. What can you tell me?"

----------

A/N: Okay, that was a short chapter with a cliffhanger at the end. Don't worry, I won't make you wait too long, but does anyone care to try and guess what Layla can tell Kayi? Thanks for reading!

-Mako- going to cosplay to school.


	15. What I can tell you

"What can I tell you?" Layla asked. "What do you mean?"

Kayi fingered her sword. She glanced over at Layla's sword, and suddenly, she realized that the older Assassin's blade was quite similiar, only finer and much keener and much, much more aged. "I mean, like Starkin seems quite fond of you. And you always look so sad. Can you tell me about Clan Crystal Bane in the Glory Days?" Kayi asked.

Layla sighed.

"Layla, Kayi, come on," Marie called. "We're done!"

Layla stood up. "Well, I've told it at leasta thousand times before. One more won't make any difference," she sighed.

Kayi perked up her ears.

"Hey, we're taking a route that we are leassst likely to encounter other clanss," Dasmon reported. "No unnecessssary engagementsss."

Layla walked for a while before speaking to Kayi, softly relating the great days of sunbursts of glory gone by, like a shooting star."We were at the height of our career. I was twenty, he was twenty-four. We were undefeatable, invincible, the glory and the gossip. Everyone wanted to join. We were from rags to riches-a clan of fools turned a legacy.

We began to win more and more battles, making discoveries, taking the hardest, toughest missions, and doing all that needed to be done to achieve eternel fame.

Starkin and I began to grow closer to each other. He was a gentleman of a Dragoon, I recall. Like a knight. Always courteous and kind. He was the best of the best in those years, Kayi. Like Kain's secret twin.He could jump highest, beat down the most enemies, and basically was the best anyone alive had ever seen. We became sweethearts,knowing that if we ever to retire, we'd have each other still. I loved him with all my heart back then..." Layla looked into the distance. Dasmon was helping Starkin hobble along.

"We always knew that Starkin couldn't battle forever. He caught a respirtory illness one day. It was horrific. He could breath, couldn't sleep, and choked on his own blood. Some virus. He recovered, eventually, but it left his lungs weak. He couldn't fight as well anymore. That was when we were around our late twenties and early thirties. All the years of battling left Starkin's legs injured. Pretty soon, in the middle of an engagement, he just lay down his spear and said 'Bruno, I need your staff now.' Just like that he quit Dragoon-ing. His health grew worse and worse, but not that terrible.Meanwhile, Bruno started going blind." Layla looked up suddenly. "Did you know that Bruno is almost completely blind by now?"

Realization struck Kayi like lightning bolts. That was why Bruno had so many Floateye eye globes. That was why Bruno lived all day in a subterrean world. But no one could tell whether the decrpyt Alchemist was blind! "Then how-"

"Bruno probably learned a bit of Alchemy to help him feel and hear his way. Anyways,me and Starkin. We never did have a proper courtship, when he proposed to me one day," Layla said softly.Her ears were even droopier now.

Kayi's ears stood straight up. "Wha- Did you accept?"

Layla shook her head sadly. "No. I didn't."

Kayi was filled with a sudden rage. She didn't know why- if she did, we can all be sure that a noble viera's daughter knew more about the universe than the totema all combined. "Why? Why didn't you?" Kayi demanded.

Layla looked ahead stiffly, not looking at the younger Assassin as the reply came. "Think about it. We were starting to age out of our primes. Starkin was the worst of it- he started coming down with all sorts of conditions. Do you think that, if we were married, I could look after him? No! No, I couldn't! I take life, not give it." Layla shook her head.

Kayi's anger only increased at her explanation. "So you just left him! You may not be able to care for him, but that's better than dying alone!" Kayi growled angrily.

Layla's eyes maybe flashed. Maybe they dimmed. Maybe they grew brighter, or malevolent, or benevolent. Kayi would never know.

"That's why I referred him to Lady Morgana. Bruno is a powerful Alchemist, you know- jobs as Alchemists are easy to find because no one wants to risk a backlash that might turn you into a frog."

Layla may have said more, but shouts in the distance sent them all running into the direction.


	16. How long?

"What the hell'sss wrong with you?!?" a voice yelled. Everyone peered over the bushes to see a mystified-looking clan surrounding their two clanmates- a female human and a bangaa.

"It's just that I've suddenly and completely fallen in love with-" the Archer began to say.

The Gladiator did not look happy. "Well, Lisssa, ever sssince we battle Clan Shakayi,you've been inssane."

But Lisa wasn't subdued. "Aw, you and I were destined-"

"No we weren't! Now leave me alone!" he bellowed and started to stomp away.

"Now, David, wait-"

"You said you battle Clan Shakayi?" Kayi yelled, busting into the clearing.

The clan looked up. "We're Clan Snow. Yes, we battled them- ended in a tie," someone offered.

"And a viera Sniper named Kayalie was with them?"

"Yep. Lisa got shot a few times, and now just because David used a potion on her, she thinks that he's her boyfriend or sm'thin."

Bruno explained to the clan about the love potion and the arrows. In the end, everyone nodded.

"I think that you should find an antidote, and fassst!" David suggested harshly. "Meanwhile, what do I do about-" he jerked a thumb towards Lisa, "her?"

Bruno thought. "I don't know. Just pin her to the ground, lock her up in one of the back rooms in the pub, something."

Kayi suddenly got an idea. "Hey- Bruno, is it possible that maybe if we lock her up, then the effect'll wear off?"

Bruno looked surprised. "Yes, that's interesting, that's possible..."

"Good, 'cause you guys are going to need the back rooms."

-----

"Hey! What are you doing?" Lisa cried as they locked the door. "David? Aren't you going to save me-"

The talkative Ninja banged on the door and yelled, "Well sorry, but it's for your own good!"

"How long do we have to keep her in there? You know, Lisa was our only Archer."

"I don't know."


	17. Explain later, run now

"Do you think that the solution'll work?" Kayi asked Bruno. Now that she knew he was blind, she had a much, much greater respect. When she related to Carlos what Layla told her, she could tell that now the two knew that Bruno was much more than the cranky, insane old Alchemist that worked underground all day.

"Maybe." Bruno, if one looked hard enough, showed signs that he couldn't see more than a few dim inches away from his nose- an occasional none-blinking stare straight at a light, walking straight over a patch of ivy (poisonous, as they soon found out) or even, once, running straight into branches.

Kayi slowed down to Carlos. "Hey Carlos!"

"Kupo! Heya Kayi!" he chirruped. Lief was beside him, showing off his gun.

"Kupo, Lady Kayi! Carlos told me all about you! Did Starkin ever tell you anything about the old Glory Days?" Lief asked.

"Not much, nothing that you haven't already heard. But hey, Layla told me all about-"Kayi whispered softly the story that the older Assassin related to her. "And so then Starkin proposed-" suddenly, all three flinched. Thing, crosshatching red welts appeared over Carlos's whole face, the top of Lief's head, and all over Kayi's ears, her face, as well as her neck. They stopped and turned around.

A very, very, very, very, very, very angry-looking Starkin stood behind them. His staff was resting calmly, but it was clear where the welts had come from.

"I THOUGHT," he bellowed, flames licking from his mouth, "I THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THE COUTESSSY-" More welts and a few actual wacks- "TO KEEP OTHER'SSSS VERY PERSSSONAL RELATIONSSS-" -hard whacks- "CONFIDENTIAL!" Starkin's whole body gave off a reddish tinge, and flames starting licking from his mouth. The ground beneath the three started to tremble as everyone else stopped to see what was the matter.

Layla came first, picking Kayi up and yelling straight into her face. "YOU WERE GOSSIPING ABOUT ME AND STARKIN?!?"Layla bellowed, the wind of her breath blowing Kayi's hair back. "YOU WHAT? TOLD THEM-"

"Well, no, I didn't tell them what you refused."

Layla's face burned red. It was a wonder she didn't transform into a Firedrake right then right there. "I thought that little vieras kept secret things-" (Big Breath) "SECRET!"

Bruno suddenly grew alarmed. Starkin was rapidly glowing red, and there was a fiery haze shrouding him like a misty, floating veil.

"Let's get outta here before It happens!" Bruno bellowed, waving his hands towards a group of trees yards away.

"Why-" Marie began to say when the ground started to crack/

"Explain later, run now!" Dasmon replied quickly, running away too.


	18. We wouldn't mind!

Kayi heard a fire blazing and heard trees falling, crushing the forest. It was a maelstrom, like a storm with the power of a thousand armies. Trees clashed, fire burned, and a wind picked up and began ripping through the undergrowth. After what seemed like forever, the noise suddenly stopped. There was complete silence.

Starkin, blood smearing his snout, came through the trees. "Excusse me, I just had one of my burn-outss," he said calmly.

"That wass a big one," Dasmon commented.

Kayi raced up to her bodyguard and looked up with troubled eyes. "Starkin- what happened?"

The Bishop waved her question aside. "Oh, not much. I told you, I jusst had a burn-out. Now where were we on deciding your punishemtn?"

Bruno nodded as if nothing had happened. "Well, it's yours and Layla's problem. What do you think is suitable?"

Starkin thought for a moment. "Well, I think that, sssinsse she ssseems to sstill need training, keeping her out of engagementsss isss no option." Sigh of relief from Kayi. "But you will be under my consstant sssupervissation, ssince you have proved that you cannot handle battling yet." Sigh of relief turning into a choke.

"What? Starkin, but-"

Two thin welts again appeared on both sides of her face. "Aw, Starkin, you didn't need to do that seriosuly!"

Carlos, frightened by the Burn-out, suddenly remembered to whine and complain about the red lines. "Ow, Starkin, you didn't need to! That ws mean, kupo! Mean! And I don't think that it's a good solution, because this generation- owowow!"

"Kayi, you heard me. Or Lady Morgana and your father will be hearing about you gossiping."

Kayidrooped her ears and whined like a puppy.

-----

"Hush!I hear something!" Layla hissed, her ears flicking suddenly. "Hide- oh crap!" It was too late- a clan was coming into rapid view.

There were two humans, a viera, three bangaa and a moogle.

"Hello there friends, are you part of the Great Clan Trek?" a human Blue Mage called happily and cheerfully.

"We sort of are, just looking for someone," Bruno said. "You seem awfully happy today- been winning a lot?"

"Yes, very happy today," the Blue Mage replied. The viera was leaning on his shoulder very comfortably.

"Care for a fight, kupo?" the moogle, a Time Mage, asked. He seemed cheerful and very, very bubbly.

"Well, I don't know..."

Lief pushed forward. "Sure, kupo! We wouldn't mind!"

-----------

A/N: Allow me to share a grievence with you. I have just deleted my save out of sheer stupidity- now my clan's gone. They were like the friends I never had. So now I'm getting my clan back... unofortunately the names are random. If anyone has a human "Sandath", a viera "Eponine," a bangaa "Monte" or "Mulgio,"maybe you could help me...


	19. A Blast into the Past

Kayi stared ruefully stared out at Marie, who was casting Thunder, striking out with her sword,and narrowly dodging a few saber-strikes from the Blue Mage.

"Bruno, can't I-"

"No."

Kayi glowered and cast another Heavy Dust.

"Okay, I cast a spell, and now-"

"No." Bruno shifted, and where a moogle stood there was a frog, ribbitting in a melancholy manner.

Kayi glowered. She hated watching a battle from afar, unable to do anything but cast spells and spells.

"Bruno... Why can't I ever-"

"Kayi!" he suddenly yelled, his voice breaking in fragments. An spell suddenly ripped apart the ground, heading straight towards them.

Bruno muttered a few words and a bolt of his own raced out to greet the one that had been sent by the Blue Mage.Kayi was caught in the middle! She screamed, and the world blacked out...

------

Kayi got up. Everyone was gone! "Everyone! Hey! Not funny!" Kayi yelled. If this was Carlos's idea of a joke, oh she'd get him...

"Huh?" The forest looked younger. There was no cliff, and the trees that Starkin smashed in his Burn-out were new again and younger. The sign marking the way wasn't there...

"Oh no, I'm in the future!" Kayi cried. "Someone! Time Mage, anyone! HELP!"

"Misssy Viera, are you in need of my asssisstensse?" a voice asked. A very much younger version of a familiar voice...

"Starkin!" Kayi whirled around.

"Yesss, that'ss my name. Now, missss, do you need my help?"Starkin asked. But it wasn't the Starkin she knew, not the old, decrypt-and-frail Bishop. The Starkin that stood before her was a handsome young Dragoon. His legs were not twisted or crippled in any manner, and he had lost all signs of age that he had yet to aquire. Young Dragoon Starkin held his Paristan in one hand and his helmet in the next. _Nowonder he was popular among the girls,_ Kayi thought, thinking what her sister Kayalie would have done. Flirted with him, of course. Kayi wasn't interested in boys or mature relationships yet, but was old enough to know a lady's man (or bangaa) when she saw one.

"Um... Well, Starkin! You're my bodyguard, and I'm from the future, but only-"

"Whoa there, young Missssy," Starkin said, shaking his head and laughing. "I think that you've been in the woods just a bit too long. How about I esscort you to your home? These aren't ssafe partss, you know," Starkin said, laughing. He had a rich, deep voice- such an idol of a bangaa.

"Well, you see, I'm really from the future. But..." Only one nu mou could help her now. Bruno was a Time Mage before. "Bruno! Bruno can help me!"

Starkin winked. "Well, Bruno's out right now. You're welcome to sstay with usss until he returnsss, though."

"Yes, I'd like that very much," Kayi said, deciding to play along. What other things could she find out about her old bodyguard?

Starkin bowed courteously. "Well, follow me, Missss..."

"Morgana. Name's Morgana."


	20. Much younger now

"Starkin? Starkin! Who'd you got there?" a feminine voice called once they appeared from the forest. "A requesting member?" Layla waved from where the whole clan sat.

Kayi gazed at them. Layla was much younger now, and actually what most men would have called lovely. Beautiful, even, or maybe gorgeous. Her ears weren't gravity drooped for one thing, and her face was younger and unwrinkled. She hada body that could make a thousand men she knew swoon. Her sword was less scratched, polished, and even keener than when Kayi saw it before.

Dasmon was just as young and dashing as Starkin, only with rougher features and a more carefree face. He was actually good-looking, and a fascintating contrast to his older version. His Defender uniform was in crisp perfection, every seam and every plate of it gleaming in the sun.

Willy the Ninja's face was uncovered and he had taken off his shirt, which he was washing the bloodstains off of. He smiled and winked at her. Kayi knew that she could have fallen in love with him, had he been in her time.

There was a human that Kayi didn't reconize. He was a Hunter with a bite mark on his neck. His blue eyes gleamed from underneath the Hunter hat, and he smiled too, revealing fangs where his canines were supposed to be shorter.

The Moogle Gunner that was polishing his gun must be Peter, Lief's father. "Kupo, who do we have here?" Peter asked. His voice was cheerful and friendly and installed the feeling that you were among the friendliest friends in the universe.

Sonya had to be the viera that was halfway between the uniform of a Summoner and an Elementalist. She grinned too and waved. "How ya be?" she asked in a friendly manner.

Kayi liked them instantly. But at the same time, she was filled with wistfulness that they could not stay that way forever.

"Well, the little lady needsss to sssee Bruno. Why anyone would want to sssee the inssane Alchemist beatss me," Starkin said.

"You aren't interested in joining us, kupo? Okay!"Peter said, firing a few expiremental shots from his gun.

"Oh no, I'm not in the future- I'm in the past!" Kayi lamented to herself.

"What wass that you ssaid, Missssy?" Starkin asked.

"N-Nothing."

"Oh, well anywayss," Dasmon said, now sharpening his blade. "We got challenged to an engagement by Clan Fey.Thiss evening."

"Oh! That'ss great!" Starkin said, turning to Kayi. "Will you want to wait at a pub until Bruno comess?" he asked politely.

Kayi didn't want to. "Would you mind if I joined you in the fight?" Kayi asked. "I won't be a drag, and I don't need constant watch," she offered sweetly.

Layla thought for a while. "I don't mind. Anyone?"

"Sure, kupo!"

"Fine with me."

"Why not?"

"Sssure."

"Ya, okay!"

"Thiss evening, Clan Fey," Dasmon repeated. "They ssay we owe them a rematch ever ssinsse we kicked their asssesss."


	21. Premonitions

"Starkin, it's our turn to make lunch today,"Layla said.

Starkin nodded and inhaled deeply. He motioned for Layla to set the firewood down and for everyone to clear away. Fire roared from the depths of his throat, skimming and lighting above the fire wood. A cooking fire burned merrily.

Layla set a pot on stilts above the fire, emptied the packet in, and started to stir.

"So, Miss Morgana, what were you doing in the middle of the Nubswood? These are dangerous times, with the bandits' keep in the middle. Even Starkin needs Layla to go with him to the deeper parts, kupo," Peter said, smirking at the Dragoon, how scowled back.

"I, er, I um... Well, my Hunter friend promised to catch me a little panther, a Coerl of my choice. It wasn't until a few moments back that his pet Floateye carried the message to me that he was home sick with the chocobo pox."

"HAHA!" Sonya yelled, leaping up and thwacking Willy on the face with her staff. She picked up the other half of her summon outfit, the shirt and the headress, and put it on over her Elementalist uniform. "HAHA, Zhiraz, I told you we shouldn't shot at the Floateye!"

The fanged Hunter scowled at glared. "Hey, why do ya have to rub it in so hard? I'ma Hunger, ya know."

Sonya sat down triumphately.

"Starkin, your turn to stir. Anyways, what about the Clan Fey?" Layla asked.

Dasmon nodded, thinking. "I heard that they got a Summoner now and an Alchemist, so now we're pretty well matched."

Starkin suddenly stopped stirring. "Does anyone have a premontition of something about to happen?" he asked lazily, looking upwards.

Layla shook her head. "I'd hear it."

Zhiraz, the Hunter nodded and smiled, showing his fangs. "Ya, me n' Kathereen went toa fortune teller once, during a fair. The old nu mou fortune teller says that he had a premonition of a child of mine as a Hunter named Kain, ya know. Sheesh, those premontions!" he shrugged.

Kayi looked confused. "Who's Kathereen?"

"My wife. Not here right now though."

"Aren't you naming your kid Kain? You know, fufilling the proph-" Dasmon started to say.

"I'm trying to get ridda it, ya know! I hated those lil' dudes who say that they can tell the future! Sheesh! Even the oldest nu mou alive can't! No, we're naming the boy something other than Kain and the viera Aria or sm'thin along the likes," he drawled. He had an accent that made him seem like a country bumpkin.

"You have a kid? You never told me," Sonya said, looking offended.

"That's because you're always in your bubble! No, kupo, Kathereen's gonna have twins- geez, Sonya, kupo, we've known for months already!"

Sonya looked extremely offended and very annoyed. "IFRIT!" she bellowed.

"Oh crap," someone said as Willy the Ninja put his shirt down (in the river, not brilliant sincethe current was carrying it away) and took up a pot and filled it with water, waiting for the fiery spirit to appear.

-------------

A/N: Am I using too much "telling" and not enough "showing?"Okay,can someone tell me what they can infer about Sonya? Heh, I'm trying to practice "showing" personality, coo, but maybe it's a bit too much dialouge...Oh yeah, and everyone's suggested characters will appear at one point in the story- if you don't want me to use them for any reason at all, just tell me before I put them in, k? Thank you for the characters!


	22. The first engagement

Ifrit appeared in collumn of fire, scorching the area of his appearence. He bellowed, but stopped and looked around in surprise.

Sonya's temper had coolled down a bit. "Sorry Ifrit, I just lost my temper. You can go back to the Ether now."

Ifrit muttered a few equivilants of a summon's cuss words before disappearing in another collumn of smoky fire.

"Hey, one more thing- stop potty-mouthing! Shiva's been complaining to me about that, ya know!" Sonya hollered.

A few more cuss words boomed from the sky, followed by a lance of fire that struck out near Sonya.

"Dirty good-for-nothing demon-mutt," Sonya muttered.

Zhiraz smiled and started laughing.

"Hush!" Layla suddenly said, getting up and spilling her soup all over Starkin with a hiss.

Starkin hurridly cleaned off the mess as Layla's ears pricked back and forth. "Someones are coming! A clan!"

"Should we fight?" Starkin said unsurely. "I mean, we have a guesst right now-"

"No, don't let me hold you guys back. I can fight too," Kayi said.

Zhiraz shrugged. "If the little lady wants to, then she can fight. Remember Seriphina a few weeks ago, y'all? Saved our necks, that's what I'd say, saved us from the ol' muddle-Judge! Ehehehehe!"

"Er, ignore him. He's a country bumpkin," Layla said as the approaching clan appeared over the hills.

"Hey, Clan Crystal Bane?" a voice called.

"Yes, are you challenging us?"Layla called.

There were six creatures in all- a moogle, a bangaa, a viera, a nu mou, and two humans. The Fighter in the front waved.

"Yeah, we are. We hiked all the way over the Ulei to catch up with ya guys, you know!"

"Are you tired? We can wait," Starkin volunteered.

"That was yesterday, kupo!" a moogle Gunner said. "We're fine today!"

"Will Missss Morgana be joining uss?" Starkin said, putting his helmet on and holding his Paristan off the ground.

"Um... Can I?" Kayi asked.

Zhiraz nodded. "Might as well. All right everyone, they're engaging us, let's go!"

Everyone quickly got into the arrow-shaped formation that Kayi had seen before.

"Yo, Morgana!" Willy yelled, waving towards the stop behind him.

"Um... Thanks, I guess," Kayi said, not knowing what she had gotten herself into.

The Judge came out of nowhere, blew the whistle (and spittle all over Starkin), and raised his hand to begin the engagement.

"Go!" Dasmon started charging, surprising the other side with his false stupidity.

Everyone else waited.


	23. The first engagement begins!

Dasmon bounced off a barrier with a loud "Oof!"

"Dasmon! You okay?" Starkin yelled, leaping into the sky suddenly. Everyone looked around for him, but all of a sudden, a huge shape streaked downwards from the sky and took out a moogle Gunner.

"You're racist, kupo," Kayi heard Peter say. "You always take out the Gunners first."

"No, they just always happen to be the one conveniantly not looking in my direction until I do attack," the Dragoon retorted.

All of a sudden, an arrow with a flapping floateye on it suddenly started whizzing above everyones' heads, as if looking for the perfect head.

"Uh-oh..." The Blue Mage was watching the Roulette fly around with intense interest. The Roulette slowed, switching favorites from Zhiraz... To the Elementalist viera... To Kayi... And it stopped on.... Starkin.

"Oh no! Not again!" the Elementalist exclaimed, more in annoyance than dismay. The Rouletter flickered above her head, but nothing happened. A red headband adorned with symbols of protection flashed, and the Death spell was negated.

The nu mou Sage raised his mace and called forth a buffetting amount of wind.

"Hold on everyone!" Zhiraz yelled, throwing his arms around the nearest object avalible, which, unfortunately, was Layla.

"Eech! Get off of me, you! I already have enough male creatures trying to stick their hands up my shirt!" Layla snarled at him.

"Whoops," he muttered, latching onto a boulder.

The whirlwind tore at them. Although it rendered them helpless, it also provided a barrier against any attacks until it finally died down.

"Layla!" Starkin yelled, gesturing towards the other side of the field where the Fighter, the Elementalist, the Blue Mage, and the bangaa Gladiator were starting a group attack.

Layla winked beguilingly and nodded.

Kayi watched next to Willy the Ninja (who was lamenting over his lost shirt) as Starkin leaped in bounds towards them, Layla following besides. Both weapons were drawn. The clash was inevitable.

The Elementalist and the Blue Mage split off to the sides as Layla tumbled into the Fighter.

"Damn! Pablo, you're ssuch a nutball!" the Gladiator yelled and attempted to pry Layla off Pablo, who was yelling; "Get 'er off me!" GET 'ER OFF ME! FIO'S NOT GONNA LIKE THIS ONE BIT!"

Starkin tackled the Gladiator, bumping him aside. A clash now ensued between the two bangaa.

"Sonya! Watch out!" Willy yelled, tackling the Summoner to one side. She tripped, and the Summoner's headdress fell off.

"Carbuncle!" Sonya yelled, waving a hand towards Zhiraz, Willy, herself, and Kayi. The moogle-like fairy hovered in the air as a Reflect was cast.

Zhiraz's aim was good. Two arrows stuck straight out of the Blue Mage's turban, nearly wrecking the feather in the process.

"Darn! Missed again!" the Hunter muttered, notching another arrow. But a flashing ball of light flew out of nowhere, draining quite a bit of his energy away and drawing it back to the Sage.

"YAAAHH!!" Willy the shirtless Ninja yelled, charging forward, waving two swords. He caught up to the Sage and started to hack away.

Kayi turned her attention to Zhiraz, who was leaning on his greatbow and panting.

"Here," she said, drawing an X-potion out and giving it to the critical Hunter, who drank it in one gulp.

"Thanks, missy," he said. "You make this old Hunter wish he met you before Kathereen," he said slying, notching up a few more arrows.

Benjamin the Gladiator was too busy fighting the Dragoon to notice that his opponent was swiftly pacing, weaving them in an intricate pattern and running him in circles. Benjamin, or Ben, or Jamin, as his friends called him, was getting quite dizzy before he realized the trick. He swung his sword, hitting the flat of it against Starkin's ribs. A few cracks were heard, and Starkin gasped in pain.

The Dragoon held an arm to his side and leaped forward, impaling Benjamin on the feathery-seeming spear.

Layla whipped out her blade with her free hand and stabbed it into Pablo.

"Starkin!" Layla yelled, running over to him. Layla felt around Starkin's chest and ribs, murmuring softly.

The Blue Mage was waking up witha soft groan.

A fireball raced towards Sonya- the Summoner was blown backwards!

"Oh, you don't!"Zhiraz yelled, racing over to him. But the saber flew upwards, blocking the arrows. Zhiraz cursed and knocked forward with the greatbow, only to be parried again. They were swordfighting!

By the looks of the battle, Zhiraz was out of his element. The Blue Mage was winning-

"Heya!" Kayi yelled, racing forward, sword raised. It flashed down, gleaming, and he fell down with a thud.

"The engagement it decided!" the Judge yelled. Kayi suddenly noticed that the Judge's armor was different than from the future! Instead of thecrests, there was only a breastplate, and the blue coloring was green. "This match goes to.. Clan Crystal Bane!"A green aura flooded the field, and when it disapated, everyone was standing.

Layla and Starkin were the last to come.Starkin was breathing in hard gasps, and Layla was looking very concerned.

All of a sudden, a floateye appeared out of nowhere.

"Hello?" it chirped. "Hello? Clan Crystal Bane?" it asked.

"Yes, are you-"

"I'm Thrumbi the Floateye of Clan Fey. Half of the clan is sick from chocobo pox, and no one can fight, 'cause even Wells is way too busy taking care of everyone. Sorry- gotta cancel! See ya!" it chirruped and took off.

Just as suddenly, Starkin collapsed with a moan.

"Starkin!" Layla cried, kneeling down beside the twitching Dragoon. "I think that he cracked a few ribs- let's go see a healer right now!"


	24. Draught

"Clan Crystal Bane, eh?" the nu mou asked, reading from the parchment. "Mhhmm... I see. Starkin, your Dragoon?"

"Yes, will he be okay-" Layla started to say.

"Nuh-Nuh!" the nu mou healer shushed. "He'll be okay," he said, answering Layla's question. "But please, keep him out of battle for a few days- will you be needing a knock-out draught?" he asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Yes sirrie, that'll be awfully helpful," Zhiraz said. "Extra strength if you have any."

The nu mou flipped a few pages over. "Well, he can still ride chocobos, fly in airships, run, and the such, but please. No fighting until his ribs fully heal."

Kayi was surprised. Normally, at least in her time, when someone was injured, the mages got them up-and-running in a matter of moments. A few cracked ribs were nothing to worry over with the healers of her time around... Ah, things were probably much more... Less advanced than in the future.

"Really, madam, no need to fusss over me," said a familiar voice. "I'm fine, truly, get thiss all the time!" Starkin exclaimed to the viera White Mage.

She seemed doubtful and hurried over to Layla. "Madam, please- he's convinced that he's in complete health. No offense, but your boyfriend's acting like a nutball," she whispered softly.

Layla nodded. "That's Starkin to you. Always trying to be the heroic, invincible knight. If he were a human, he'd be a Paladin."

The nurse laughed. "My sister's boyfriend was the same. Good luck."

------

"Missy Kayi wouldn't care for a drink?" Zhiraz said, coming over to where everyone sat with a tray full of achoholic beverages.

"Umm..." What would Lady Morgana say? "No thanks. I'm-I'm hypersensitive to intoxication," Kayi said, quoting Bruno's refusal of wine.

Sonya started laughing. "Oh... HAHAHA!!! The girl's a little Bruno! Isn't that funny!"

Everyone began laughing, and Kayi did to, more out of her near scrape of fate rather than humor.

"Here's to the knock-out draught and our butts it'll save from Starkin in the very near future!" Sonya declared, holding her mug up. Everyone did suit, and Kayi held up her cup of water. The wooden mugs clanked against each other.

"Haha, I am _sso_ laughing, Ssonya," Starkin muttered sacastically.

Everyone was laughing and chatting, talking about things like how Kathereen's pregnacy was going, why the Floateye from yesterday liked apples, what was the best way to get the sharpest edge out of blade and the such.

"So what do you think, Morgana?" Sonya asked.

"Oh- huh?" Kayi blinked.

"I mean-" Sonya took a deep breath and began enounciating every word. "When. Do. You. Think. They're. Going. To. Be. Born?"

"Who?"

"Zhiraz's twins," Sonya said. Everyone was looking at Kayi.

"Erm... Well..." Kayi thought. One was a human, the other was a viera... Then... "I think in about maybe another year, I think."

"Hmm, well, that's new," Willy said. "Anyways, I forgot to say. Yesterday, I was getting the water, and there was this one _huge_ wolf on the edge. It was eating a panther! A Coerl!" And the talk shifted to the subject of the wolf.

"Hey guys! Long time no see!" a voice exclaimed. Kayi glanced over at the Hunter. His face was suddenly rigid, as if he were trying not to kill anyone. Kayi turned around and gasped.


	25. Panther

Kayi turned around and gasped.

"Well, aren't you gonna say hello?" the newcomer asked. The 'newcomer' was a Red Mage viera.

"Well, hello, Merlina,"Willy said. "How's your Panther doing?"

"That's what I came for. Well, I need to leave on a trip to the palace, and guess what?"

"Tellennis killed someone and they won't let a Panther in," Sonya said.

"Kinda," Merlina said, flexing her fingers back and forth. "Well, remember when you guys were in a bind... Because Gunnmanship, Techniques, Fight, and Blades weren't allowed? And Sonya was out with the measles?"

Sonya scowled. "You could have just said I was sick..."

"Well," Merlina continued. "I need you to take care of Tellennis for me. Just for a while."

Kayi looked beyond the Red Mage. Sitting behind her was a primply groomed pampered-looking Panther with a Flame Collar on her throat. She growled softly, as if the Clan were just a bunch of dumpsters.

"Well... You know that me n' your pet missy don't quite agree with another. But I reckon we could..." Zhiraz said, scratching his head.

Merlina pouted and put on puppy-eyes.They probably worked, for the grumbling Zhiraz finally muttered, "Reckon so."

"Oh thank you, Zhiraz!" Merlina exclaimed. "Thank you so much!" and left in a hurry.

"Well, Zhiraz, _again?_" Sonya asked.

Zhiraz muttered something and slammed the mug of ale down. "I think I'm drunk."

Tellennis didn't look at all happy with the arrangements. She growled and pawed the ground.

"Hello, pwetty Pwanther," Kayi cooed. Zhiraz flinched back, expecting Tellennis to snap out at the Miss Morgana.

But she didn't. Shejust winced a bit as Kayi petted her neck.

"Well,Morgana, you can be in charge of Tellennis while you're here-"

"Ssshiras! Morgana is our guesst-" Starkin began to say when Kayi interrupted.

"I really don't mind. She's a sweet Panther, isn't she?"

Zhiraz scowled. "Just get to know her and you'll see."

"Clan Crystal Bane?" a voice called. A Paladin was waving a slip of parchment in the air. Kayi noticed that the Paladin uniform was different too. "Message for Clan Crystal Bane!" he yelled again.

Starkin went up to recieve it and came back to read the message.

"You guysss, I'll be getting back a tad bit late. Ssee ya- Bruno."

Starkin looked up. "Sorry, Missy Morgana, but our friend'll be late."

Kayi moaned. The Panther growled.


	26. Tall Tales

It was getting later into the evening. Everyone, except for Kayi, was intoxicated. Layla was sitting on Starkin's lap, and Willy the shirtless Ninjahad taken out a lyre, or a harp or something along the likes and began playing.

_Pretty viera, my only love, please don't cry for me, _

_Lovely viera, my only sweet, shed no tear for me, _

_I know I've been gone a long, long time, but please don't weep for me, _

_Pretty viera, only love, please don't cry for me! _

Willy was singing loudly and as he finished his song, nearby tables began to applaude. Kayi didn't blame them- the Ninja had a genuinely good voice, good enough to sing professionally. Willy smiled drunkenly and began a new song, this time an old bangaa folksong about a long dead warrior and the sword that marked his grave.

Tellenias, the Panther, growled softly and began to howl along to Willy's singing. A Blue Mage cheered and tossed a gil-coin over, which Tellenias caught in her jaws and gave to Kayi.

Zhiraz possessed some arcane ability to be drunk as well as sober at the same time. He waved over a waitress and passed her a handful of gil and spoke for a bit. She nodded and left.

"I just ordered dinner, you guys," the fanged Hunter annouced. Everyone sobered.

"Good, I'm hungry!" Sonya exclaimed as the waitress came back and slapped down bowls of steaming stew for everyone, including Tellenias.

Kayi sampled the stew and found it to be potato. The Panther just growled but lapped the stew up gingerly, as if she were afraid it might snap out at her.

"Sso, Missssy Morgana," Dasmon said suddenly. "It appears that Bruno will be much later than we thought. Probably the Passss is blocked- again."

Kayi nodded. "Well, when will he be back?"

Starkin glanced over Layla's head. "Why you'd want to ssee him beatsss me. But I think that he'll be back by tomorrow, if he hurriesss."

Kayi nodded, spooning at her soup. "Well, I don't think I'm in a hurry... Well you guys, I forgot to tell you, I'm from the future."

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Willy stopped singing and began to laugh.

"I know that you're a nice viera, but..." the shirtless Ninja began.

"Get a shirt, Willy. I'm not ssure whether to believe you or not, unlessss you can provide proof," Starkin said.

Kayi sucked in breath. "Well, I know that you guys once hunted down a Wanted rogue mage. Layla was using a rapier, the Mage Masher, and Zhiraz was still an Archer."

Zhiraz shook his head. "'m real sorry, missy, but everyone knows that tale. It was the gossip for days."

Kayi shook her head. "No, no, but I know that there was a Templar, a Bishop, a Gladiator, and a Dragoon.The Gladiator was fighting Starkin, and he cut off his belt, and your pants fell down-"

Starkin flushed and waved the words away from his head. "Everyone found out about that too- pleasse don't tell me about it again!" the Dragoon exclaimed, blushing.

Kayi thought. "Um, I know that Bruno got turned into a chocobo instead of a frog when the Bishop cast Reflect and the spell bounced back."

Everyone was quiet. Sonya dropped her spoon. Soup dripped out of Peter's mouth as it opened.

"Kupo- how did you know?" he asked quietly.

Kayi closed her eyes. "I told you already. I'm from the future. I'm the daughter of Lady Morgana, Bruno was the Alchemist, and.... And Starkin was my bodyguard."

Starkin shook his head. "Now, misssy, weren't you that viera who I was hired to guard as a Defender? And you got dropped on your head?"

Kayi shook her head. "Well, Zhiraz is going to lose an arm when he's old, and you, Starkin, you're going to get all sorts of dieseises and arthiritis and disorders and stuff-" Kayi stopped when they just stared back blankly. "Never mind."

"Well, anyways, I saw a mission I wanted to go on," Sonya said suddenly as if nothing had happened.

"Really?" Zhiraz said, cocking an eyebrow. "What?"

"Well, there's this one human that thinks that a Summoner can summon the spirit of his dead wolf so that they can play together again. I can try for it- I mean, I've learned that kind of stuff from my aunt-" the Summoner continued to chatter on and on about her training as a mediam.

Tellenais growled again for attention and put her fanged head on Kayi's lap, the Flame Collar nearly burning through the fabric.

Kayi began to scratch the huge Panther behind the ears. "Well, Tellenais, what am I supposed to do now?"

Tellenais growled and barked, as if answering in some arcane language of the Panthers.

"Missy Morgana, we'll be going to bed down now- I've just rented a room in the Inn. Will you be staying with us?" Zhiraz said.

"Um, well, I don't want to be a burden, so I think-" Kayi began when Willy interrupted.

"Aw, Morgana, come on! Tellenais hates all of us, and we can't let the spoiled little thing- excuse me- run around! Why, the little brute's a killer!" Willy exclaimed.

The huge Panther snapped and snarled at the shirtless Ninja.

"Well _sorry,_ Tellenais, I'm just stating my opinion, you know, this is kinda a free country," Willy said. "Except for the prison, and the Laws, and the Judges, and the Palace, and the rules, and the censorship, and the limitations, and the rulers, and, and everything else that people go to the Jadgs for."

Everyone laughed. "Yes, Missy Morgana, it will be no burden for us. You can come with us- these aren't safe times," Zhiraz said. "Why, I remember when my Pa was a boy, he needed to bring sausages for the monsters every time he went to fetch water..." And everyone pitched in their own stories.Kayi found Sonya's the most unbelievable but the most entertaining-

"When I was just a little kitt, one day it was so cold that the wind and the sunlight just froze on the ground and on the door. Well, we broke them into little pieces and stored them away, in case we needed light or wind, we could just thaw it. But there was so much sunlight and wind frozen onto the door that my Momma had to summon Ifrit just to get the frozen stuff thawed! And when he started heatin' the door up, the wind and the sun thawed, and there was this one monster squall and a huge blinding light and knocked the big guy across the room, out the back door, and into the geraniums!"

It was a fantastic evening, especially when the other clans began volunteering their own tall tales. Kayi had always loved stories.

The Blue Mage that had tossed a coin to Tellenais related about the time when it was so windy that his uncle's beehives flew everywhere and into the sky. "Yessir, my ol' Unc had so many of those little bee-housies that they just plum flew up into the sky and honey started falling out of the sky like rain!" he paused for effect. "Well, they fell all over the manor, and then chocobos tried to eat it. They stuck to it and began to make such a noise that the bells were drowned out.Mister Sir the teacher came to teach around six o' clock, 'cause he thought it was three! And that's not even the biggest part- the chocobos started flappin' and flappin' like there was nothin' else 'round. So then, the house- with everyone in it- started to fly away!"

Kayi listened to the tall tales until she felt her eyelids droop.

"Well, it be gettin' real late," Zhiraz observed.

"Kupo! We'd best be getting to the Inn upstairs," Peter said and began to stumble away. Everyone followed suit, including Tellenais, who followed behind Kayi's heels like a pet dog.


	27. Porridge

Starkin and Layla were resting away on the same bed. Everyone else, including Kayi, had slept in their own beds.

"Hey, Tellenais?" Kayi asked the Panther, whose golden eyes were keeping an every alert sentry watch over the door.

"Grr.grr?" Tellenais asked.

"Well, do you believe that I'm from the future?" Kayi asked.

Tellenais came over to the bed and nodded. "Raw!"

"Hush, not too loud. You serious?" Kayi asked.

The huge panther nodded again.

"Well, my name's Kayi. Not Morgana- that's my mother. I'm Kayi," Kayi explained.

She could only see the panther's outline and golden eyes, which glimmered like a sunset in an ocean of night.

"Well, Tellenais, good night."Kayi's eyelids fluttered and closed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Breakfast was cold porridge of Sonya's making.

"It's healthy," Sonya said proudly, laddling out the mush to all the clanners in the pub alongside a side of honey and dried fruit and nuts.

The Blue Mage shivered when he saw it but said nothing.

"Good morning sleepyhead!" Sonya teased. She seemed cheery today. "Bedbeetles enver got you last night?"

"Nope," Kayi said, smiling back and Sonya dished out the whitish gluey substance.

"Normally it's better, but the Inn was out of ingredients," the Summoner explained. "Hey, Ifrit, it's getting cold again," Sonya said to the fiery summon that just appeared.

He nodded and grasped the hue cauldron firmly in his large hands. The metal shimmered with red, and the breakfast was warmed. Ifrit disappeared.

"Hey! Missy Morgana!" Zhiraz yelled, waving from a table.

"Good morning," everyone said.

Willy still didn't have a shirt.

"Tell Willy to go get a shirt," Layla said.

Willy shook his head. His head wrap wasn't on either. "My favorite store is closed. I'm waiting," the Ninja explained.

Starkin had a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Actually," the Dragoon said. "It'ss becaussse he'sss flirting. With the ladiesss. I heardPenelope tell him that he looked _sssexy_ without his shirt- ow!" A bowl of porridge was now firmly lodged between Starkin's armor's horns. Everyone started laughing, and Willy went back to Sonya with the excuse that it was so good he had eaten the bowl too.

"I'll get you for that, Willy!" Starkin yelled, walking off to the bathrooms, ignoring stares and giggles a Dragoon with a bowl of porridge stuck on his helmet always got.

"Well, that was fair interesting," Sonya said, returning to the table. Willy followed behind with a new bowl of porridge.

After breakfast, they set out in the same encamptment by the river to wait for Bruno.

"Well, Morgana," Layla said, sitting by her. Starkin and Dasmon were wrestling nearby. Dasmon threw Starkin down with an "Omph" and sat on him.

"Dasmon, don't squash him," Willy yelled, mucking about in the water, looking for his shirt.

"Boys..." Layla muttered, turning back around on the rock. "Anyways, Morgana,Bruno'll be coming back in a moment- Holy crap, what is that?" Layla cried, standing straight up.

There was a rumbling, and another huge rumbling, and a stampede!


	28. Last Thing

The rumbling grew louder. Willy stepped out of the river, soaking wet. Dasmon got off of Starkin, and Starkin got up. Sonya looked up from where she sat, Tellenais growled, and Layla went over next to Starkin.Peter kupo'd and stood too. Zhiraz stood and notched an arrow into his Greatbow.

The rumbling grew louder. Kayi could hear maniacal laughter. They came into view!

Hundreds of beasts, of the likes that Kayi had never seen before, stampeded towards them chasing a maniacal, insanely laughing, on a terrified, susuper-fast chocobos... Bruno.

The Alchemist wore an insane grin and was sitting backwards on the chocobo, a very dangerous thing to do.He fired spells off at the monsters, looked around, waved, and kicked his chocobo into an all-out sprint... All while sitting backwards. That definitely was _not_ the cranky, old Alchemist she knew.

Bruno's chocobo, its flanks heaving, came to a stop in front of everyone and warked happily.

Bruno grinned. "Sorry guys, I ran in ter a bit o' troubl'. Bought a' long a' few friends, ya cun see. Mind helping me help 'em ou'?" Bruno asked, his accent making him seem drunk.

Zhiraz grinned wildly and let out a whoop. Everyoen cheered and lined up, this time in two straight lines.

"A friend?" Bruno asked, eyeing Kayi.

"Missy Morgana. Needed to see you for something."

"Ah, I see. I didn't know how quickly rumors of my charming looks went around-"

"Bruno, shut up!" Layla laughed. But it was evident she seemed glad to see the nu mou.

"Well, here they come!"

The herd hit them like wild fire. Kayi couldn't see much, just hacked away at necks with her sword at any necks that presented themselves. Blood began to flood, blue blood. Kayi wasn't unscratched, though. The creatures, before they died, scratched and bit. Kayi began to falter...

Zhiraz saw her begin to tire. "Missy Morgana!" he bellowed, waving. He hopped before her to the boulders and began firing arrows. Each one was as lethal as a sword.

Kayi hacked away at any creaturesthat lept that the Hunter. She could see the battle well- Clan Crystal Bane was near godly. The force, the speed, the dodging... It was all a blur before Kayi's eyes.

The Lady Morgana had always told her two daughters that there were not many masters of battle out there, but when they saw true masters, they would know that they were undefeatable, beyond godly, beyond the mudane state of defeat. And Kayi, looking out at the field, and then at Zhiraz, finally understood what the Lady Morgana meant. True Masters.

Very soon, the last of the creatures waved its insectoid legs and died.

Everyone let out a victory cheer.

"We pulled it off!" Layla exclaimed, leaping into the air.

Sonya bowed to her summon, a huge dragon that Kayi had enver even heard of before. The dragon smiled, bowed back, and disappeared in a collum of energy.

"So, Missy Morgana," Bruno said, smiling cheekily. _He was so different than his future self!_ Kayi thought. "You needed me?"

Kayi nodded. Bruno was such a flirt when he was younger! "Yes." Kayi explained everything to the nu mou.When she reached the end, Bruno looked wiser somehow.

"Ah, yes, I see, I see, I see..." he mumbled. "Simple. I know what you mean." Her body floated away, into the sky, and began to "see" the depths of time....

And the last thing that Kayi ever saw of the beginning of the Clan Crystal Bane Glory Days was the image of the whole clan cheering away.


	29. Years

There was a brilliant flash of light.

"Wait!" Bruno's voice called, distorted by time and travel.

A shimmering note flew out of the walls of the tunnel of brilliance.

"Give that to my future self."

The tunnel vanished.

"WAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kayi screamed as she realized one thing- there was no ground beneath her!

Starkin looked up at the sky when he heard a familiar voice.

"Kayi!" he screamed, his voice cracking as he sprinted as fast as an arthiritic bangaa could run- not too fast, but fast enough. Kayi's little frame crashed onto him with a loud crunch.

"Starkin! I'm sorry, are you okay?" Kayi cried, helping her old bodyguard up.

Starkin wheezed. "Save for bruising, I'm perfectly okay. Back to Bruno for you- may I ask how you got up there?"

Kayi shook her head. "Long story," Kayi said.

Starkin was very much amazed when he realized that his little guardlet would go back to the care of the decrypt old nu mou without as much fight as a hungry tadpole.

Kayi looked around to see that the battle had not gone so well for them. Starkin had just fallen to the Gladiator, and Bruno looked drained and out of health.

"What's going on- oof!" Kayi's eyes rolled around in their sockets, the rest of her paralyzed by a well-aim Stop. Her wildly flailing eyes could see Bruno in the same perdicament.

"The engagement is decided!" the Judge yelled. "Engagement goes to Clan... Clan Hard-to-pronouce!"

The Blue Mage, who was in charge, looked disturbed. "Aw, come on! Schizwicztoyvnich can't be _that_ hard to prononce!" he yelled.

The Judge tossed over a sack of gil and a sword to the Blue Mage, who caught the gil, but the sword spun out of the air and thawked his head. "Ow..."

The viera Elementalist giggled lightly. "I think he remembers you!" she exclaimed.

Leroy, the Blue Mage, turned around. "It was an accident! I swear!"

Marie rose up. "What happened?"

The viera covered his mouth with her hands and started yelling as fast as she could- "Well, we got challenged to an engagement when we were doing our laundry in the river- ow! He bit me!" she cried and tightened her hold on the squirming mage. "Well, then- ow! He is really ticked off because- ow! He wasn't wearing any pants! So then he has to go- ow! to battle-" she shook her arms up and down, firmly hitting him against her waist, "without- Quit biting! His pants! And the Judge ticked him off even more by not allowing Color Magic, so he yells, 'Get the fuckin' chicken-"the Elementalist then related to them the scene of Leroy shouting vulgar, profane things at the Judge that had to do with "dickweed," "blunt blades," and "missing assignments."

The Judge nodded under his helmet, slammed a yellow card on Leroy, and said, "I love being able to do that" and vanished.

The Elementalist thumped Leroy again on her hip and let him go.

"So," Starkin said, hobbling over. "Well, reliving the End, eh?" the old bangaa asked.

Bruno nodded glumly. "Well, anyways, why were you so happy?"

Leroy nodded. "We had just finished an engagement with a clan, and Penelope here had a change of heart. You see, I've been havin' a crush on her for a while, but she hated me.But after the battle-"

"I decided that he was just about the cutest guy I've ever met," Penelope said, giggling.

"The Clan yu were battling, kupo?" Lief said.

"Oh. A clan by the name of Clan Sharkayi," Leroy explained.

"Well, she's not really in love with you-" Marie rushed to explain.

Bruno's staff slapped her back and she shut up.

"Sorry. Marie here thinks that love is just a chemical reaction in the brain in order for the continuity of all species. Scientific little girl!" Bruno said, pretending exasperation.

Leroy nodded. "Well, Clan... Er..."

"Well," Layla offered. "Around sixty years ago, we _were_ Clan Crystal Bane."

One of the bangaa, the moogle Gunner, and the Elementalist looked up in horror.

"We're not dead, kupo," Carlos said quickly. "That was a rumor."

Leroy smiled. "I'm honored," he said, and his clan muttered the same phrase. "You used to be the best of the best back then?"

Layla nodded. "Sixty years ago. Things have lost their shimmer these days."

"Well, it's very fortunate we met- I'm glad to meet you," Leroy said politely.

"Which way, kupo," Carlos said, "Did Clan Shakayi go?"

"North," the Gladiator said. "Mussscadet."

"Thank you," Dasmon said. "We're just looking for someone."

------------------------------------------

Okay, humor is kinda stale, but I hope that you like that chapter. As for Bruno's time-note and the warp, that'll be explained in time, don't worry! And also, Aria Star and I will be working on a story together. Look out for it, and thank you for reading!

-Mako


	30. Pothole

Marie seemed irritated. "Why," the Red Mage said. "Why, Bruno, did you not let me te-" 

Bruno scowled. "I think that Kayalie's arrows may just be for the better in this situation. Did you see how happy the Blue Mage was? Had the arrow not struck Penelope, maybe things would be worse."

Marie scowled.

"Kupo, when do you think that we'll catch up?" Carlos asked.

Kayi shrugged. Carlos did not yet know about the trip to the past.

"Well, maybe in a few moons," Kayi offered.

"Kupo... When we go back, I'm going to take my studies more seriously," Carlos said. "I mean, I wanted to be part of a clan, and it's fun and all... But I'm real worn away," the Juggler said.

Kayi pouted. "Car-los! You're my best friend! I mean, we can make our own clan!"

Carlos heaved a sigh. "Well, I don't know if this is the right thing for me..."

"Please? We can be like another Clan Crystal Bane!"

Carlos brightened considerebly at the idea. "Ya think?" He lowered his voice. "Well, I have a feeling that they are really famous. Ya know why?"

"Why?"

"Well, during my studies..." Carlos whispered, making sure he was out of range of Layla's all-hearing ears. "Well, I came across a book. _Soul Pride- The Beginning and the End of the Undefeatable Clan._ You know what it was about?"

"Who? What?" Kayi asked excitedly, her heart fluttering pleasantly like a butterfly.

"_Clan Crystal Bane. _I read all about them. They were like celebrities- I came across section after section of books on them," Carlos said, grinning.

Kayi jumped at that. She had always known that the elders were a super-clan, but the idea of them being as famous as the royalty...

"Imagine that! And I read about ol' Bruno being a total flirt and a naughty lil' bad boy!" the Juggler said.

Kayi's ears fluttered.

"Well, do you think we should stop for the night, kupo?" Lief suddenly said, stopping suddenly.

Everyone stopped. "Well, yes I suppose," Bruno said, looking out at the evening sky.

------------------------

They had gotten used to sleeping on the ground. Kayi and Carlos had not minded at all- it was like a sleep-over party every night. Starkin, although he never did complain about it, hobbled and fell in the morning.

"Well, here's to a new day," Dasmon sighed. "I expect that we will be catching up with Clan Shakayi in a few days."

"A few days?" Kayi exclaimed. "Wow!"

"Shorter," Bruno said. "If, if we hurry. come on, let's get a move on!" The old nu mou began striding (well, not exactly striding) away.

-----------------------------

"Marie?" Kayi asked.

Marie turned from talking to Layfette to face Kayi. "Yes?"

"Well, I was wondering... But after this... Well- Are any of you in a clan?" Kayibluterted.

Layfette stared. Willy stared. Carlos stared. Lief stared.

"Well," Kayi said, continuing blushingly, "Well..."

"None. My Mommawants me to join a good enough clan. I've-" Marie continued on proudly, "I've personally turned down a great many applications and requests. My Daddy says it's my bloodlines."

Kayi waited to Layfette to butt in that Marie was actually exagerrated- that the Red Mage had been turned down rather than doing the turning down herself. But no rebuttal came- Marie was really telling the truth!

"Well," Kayi continued, stopping her blush in its tracks, "We can form a clan, like Clan Crystal Bane. We can be another CCB."

"CCB? Another Clan Crystal Bane? Well, that sounds awesome, kupo!" Lief said enthusiastically.

Marie and Layfette nodded. "Well, it's decided. We can be another Clan Crystal Bane- my brother, by the way, will probably join too, if he can," Marie said.

"Who's your brother?" Kayi asked.

Marie shrugged. "He's a super-hyperactive little Gladiator. Tried to be the first Bangaa Gunner ever."

"What happened then?"

"Gave up after shooting himself too many times."

Kayi nodded but suddenly fell forward.

Kayi never noticed anything much- only that she tasted damp, iron-rich dirt and her leg felt like it had been caught on a master weaponsmith's anvil.... And everything dissolved, thankfully, away before the true waves of pain could hit her.

Everyone halted.

"Kayi!" Starkin rushed over and picked the limp, still body up. He stared sharply at her friends. "What happened?"

Marie pointed downwards. The ex-Dragoon looked and saw the cause of Kayi's pain- there was.....

A pothole in the ground. Starkin nearly exploded. A pothole! _A pothole!_ A pothole had ko'ed the daughter of Lady Morgana. And broke her leg too.

Starkin was enraged- not for being a bad guardian, but... A warrior ko'ed by a _pothole!_

"Come on," he said sharply. "Let's get her to the nearest town."


	31. Dead!

Kayi woke up to an alien place. :Huh?" she moaned. The last thing she remembered was the leg... "Huh?"

"Kayi!" Layfette bounded over and grasped her firmly in his arms. Kayi went rigid, reminded of the father...

"Layfette, you'er choking her," Marie laughed.

Kayi got up. "My leg's okay!" she exclaimed. "But where am I...?"

A scream answered her question. Layla's screamed.

"Holy Gods! Come on!" Layfette yelled, racing forward, his slim blade drawn.

-----------------

Kayi busted down the door, or rather opened it forcibly with her shoulder.

Layla began to laugh. The aged Assassin was sitting with Starkin and Dasmon and Bruno and a strange man with only one arm. But Kayi reconized that face, no matter how aged, wrinkled, or scarred it might be.

"Zhiraz!" Kayi raced over, seeing that Layla was in no danger.

Zhiraz laughed. It sounded so familiar... "Whoa, lil' Missy, you be hurtin' an old man like me," he said. "And don't worry. Yer Mammy be in no type o' trouble-Klineas just leaped on her," the old Hunter explained, waving his only hand left at a huge Coerl, the biggest Kayi had ever seen. Klineas stood up, revealing himself to be taller than Kayi at the shoulders.

"She's not my mother."

"Well, how you know my name?"Zhiraz said, cocking an eyebrow in such a familiar manner Kayi choked. "I mean, you be lookin' such so familiar, ye coulda been my own sis."

Bruno suddenly appeared in the doorway, holding a wrinkled piece of paper. "I believe that Kayi may have had a skirmish in the past."

Everyone was silent.

Bruno took that as his cue to walk over.

"I remember you, Kayi. Starkin bought you over in the months in the start of our Glory Days. Ah-hem! " Bruno began to read.

_For the sake of the giant gold chocobo, may all parsnips be forever green and all carrots never be ever blue as Starkin's butt- er, excuse me Starkin, no insult meant._

Starkin looked very, very amazed and mystified that the note from the past had pre-empted him that he would still fall for the same things.

_Today is the Forth day of Madmoon in which we have slaughtered a Desert Beetle herd. Missy Morgana, or actually Kayi, has been with us in the past and is hereby not insane, in the name of whetting stones. If Kayi is not true about the her claims of time-travel, then may her pants get cut off by a blind Judge and she be found dead in the sewers of Lower Cyril. Signed,_

_-Bruno, newly Alchemist who rode a chocobo backwards."_

For a long moment, not a single soul spoke. Then, Starkin broke the silence.

"Well, Kayi," he said very, very slowly. "I do hope that you will not compare us to our younger selves. It seems that the only memory of you is a faint blur that we once had a guest who Bruno warped mysteriously-"

"Ho, I be remembering you, young'en!" Zhiraz suddenly said. One of his fangs was chipped off. "You be Tellenais's friend!"

Kayi nodded furiously. "Yes! Merlina's Panther with the Flame Collar!"

"Yes, that ol' thing is still alive and spoiled rottener than a bag of old potatoes-"

"Aw, Dearie, but that Tellenais is such a sweet little thing!" a new voice said. A viera around Layla's age came out of the doorway, gathering her shawl about her.

Kayi looked up. "Miss Kathereen?"

The viera looked surprised. "Not very many know my real name!" She had a strange accent.

"Er, an old young friend," Starkin said. "Anyways, I've just finished telling Zhiraz about why we're here and everyhwere."

Zhiraz nodded. "Hey, what was the clan called?"

"Clan Shakayi, why?"

He furrowed his brow. "Well, I be membrin' smthin' along the lines o' that name, ya be guessin."

Kathereen looked surprised. "Zhiraz! You forgot your own grandson's clan!" she exclaimed.

Zhiraz looked amused. "Kain has a clan? The nutty lil' tot finally got a few friends!"

Kathereen rolled her eyes. Or her one eye that was still usable anyways. "Excuse him. Dodderin' ol' fool, I tell yer."

"Well, Zhiraz, it's been nice to see you again, but we really gotta get going. And thank you for healing Kayi."

"You gonna be off without yer old friend, eh?" Zhiraz asked.

Layla shook her head. "No, zhiraz- we don't mean-"

Zhiraz shook his head. "Don't be worryin' about lil' ol' me, friends- I'd just be a drag." Usually, when someone said that, it was to make the other feel guilty. But Zhiraz really meant it.

"Go on- and if Kain gives you any of his nonsense, tell him his Daddy's gonna beat out his hide on the washing line."

Layla nodded and laughed. "We'll remember."

Everyone said their goodbyes.

-----------------

Layla was the first to step out of the old cottage as a few young children opened the front gate and came in.

The little viera looked up at them with giant eyes. "You- you- you dead!"

Kayi knelt down to a knee to look the little viera square in the eye. "Now, it's not nice to threaten old ladies-"

The little boy next to her shook his head. "Nuh-uh, my sissy ain't threatening anybody around here. But you be ghosts? Vampires? Out teacher tells us that you were dead fifty years-"

"Um, let's run, kupo," Carlos said.


	32. Jealous?

"I knew the rumors were serious, Layla, but..." Bruno's voice trailed off.

Layla shrugged. "Well, I _had_ to get rid of the assassin."

"There was an assssassssin? On our trail?" Dasmon demanded in disbelief. He shook his head. "Will wondersss never sseasse!"

----

"Kayi, we should be catching up to your sister soon," Marie said.

Kayi nodded. "Yeah! When we do, she's gonna have to explain to me wh-"

Marie shrugged. "Well, I can safely say that you and your sister don't have a good relationship. Why I ask why?"

Kayi was stunned. She didn't mean to make it _that_ evident! "Well," Kayi scratched her ears. "She's always... I don't know... Just that she has a clan, I suppose, and that she's always... Cute, charming, adorable..."

"So you're jealous?" Layfette asked. He popped up between the two. "Jealous, eh?"

Kayi shook her head. She didn't want to think of herself as jealous of Kayalie. Jealous of perfect, wonderful Kayalie. Jealous of Kayalie, who could hit her targe at any height, anywhere? Jealous of Kayalie, who the boys loved, jealous of Kayalie, who had so many friends... "I guess. Thing is the onlys friends I have... Well, there are you guys, Starkin, Layla, Bruno I guess, and definitely Carlos. But that's about it."

Marie nodded. "Don't worry, Kayi, our clan's gonna be the best!"

All of a sudden, Kayi bumped into Layla, who was standing stock still, her ears perfectly rigid and erect.

"Clan Shakayi. Mission almost accomplished," Layla said.

Kayi cheered and raced through the bushes ahead.

"Kayalie!"


	33. My Friends and a Clan of Legends

Clan Shakayi looked stopped and looked behind them.

"Kayalie!" the voice yelled again. A little viera, a rowdier-looking Assassin version of their leader, tumbled out of the bushes. The little viera flew through the air and tackled Kayalie head-on with a loud "Omph!"

Tifone, the Summoner, looked down. "Um, Kayalie, is that your sister?"

Kayalie felt three emotions- shock, surprise, and numbness. Kayi? Kayi hiking all the way out here alone, or maybe with an artheritic bangaa that could barely walk, and maybe the fluffy dust-bunny of a moogle Juggler.

But surprise turned to warm amusement as Kayi stared down at her sister and helped her up.

"Kayalie- have you bathed lately? You reek? Kayalie!" Kayi exclaimed hugging her sister and beaming. "Kayalie, have you changed your underwear? You know what Momma says-"

"Kayi, that's enough!" Kayalie exclaimed, blushing at the laughter of her clan. "Don't embarrass me!" But despite her words, Kayalie hugged Kayi right back, smiling just as broadly. "You have a lot to explain. Or I tell Momma. Did you come here with just senile old Starkin and Carlos the fluff?"

Kayi shook her head. "I came here with my friends and a clan of legends."


	34. Clan Shakayi

"A clan of legends?"

Clan Shakayi was a fairly sized clan of seven people, each of whom Kayi could identify.

Kayalie was the leader. The love bow hung on her back in the place of her normal, supple bow.

Tifone stood timidly ahead, her Summoner uniform primply fresh and pressed, no matter what condition she had been through. Tifone had been like the mother of the group, and sometimes even to Kayi, always making sure that they had their proper nutrition and changed their clothes everyday. Being a neat-nick, all her equipment was always in pristine condition. her favorite summon was the water dragon-god Levathian, for obvious reasons.

Hopper was grinning madly. The human Thief was looking down at Kayalie, as if considering what he might steal from her. Instinctivly, she held her blade even closer to her.

"Naughty little brat," many adults had called him. Hopper had a nose for trouble- where there was trouble, there was Hopper, and where there was Hopper, there was twice as much trouble. He had been personally responsible for over half of the engagements the Clan Shakayi had fought, mostly concerning Clan Dip and Clan Maple.

A tall human that Kayi reconized as Kain smiled. "Kayi! There you are!" He was probably as old as herself, and Kayi felt herself blush for no apparent reason and her heart beat a little faster. Kain was actually a bangaa/human hybrid, as far as Kayi was concerned. But he was so good with the spearthat his parents changed his name from Torlus, or Sword, to the name of the legendary Dragoon Kain.You couldn't tell that he was human right away- you needed to study his face and his blue-green eyes to see the bangaa blood in him.

Benecie had her hands on her hips. She was what men would have called "sexy" and fought over who got to escort her from point A to point B. The Fencer wore even _less_ than the average viera, as if tying to tempt the enemy to come closer. "Little slut," Morgana had called her.

"Temptress," Carlos had called her, and drooled until Kayi slapped him and Starkin's staff flew through the air a couple of times. Indeed, one of Benecie's pasttimes was flirting with the men and bangaa in the pubs.

"Hiyahiyahiyahiya!" Pedro the Mog Knight called. He waved madly. "Hiyahiyahiyahiya!" Though he was a boy moogle, he wore pompoms and a few ribbons. "It's cute, and you're being sexist," he had told Kayi when she asked why he wore the fluffy hair ornaments. Kayi liked Pedro a lot. He was just as hyper and "immature" as her, but she knew that it was jsut an act, a mask to hide himself under. In battle, he was a true knight.

Lizzo stood, trying to look strong and solemn and failing- it must have been difficult not to laugh. But Kayi saw his hand inch towards the hem of Benecie's skirt. The human Fighter always was a favorite among ladies- he always had something witty to say. Kayi knew many of his secrets, fordespite his attempts to be cool and mysterious, he couldn't help but be bursting with funny, stupid remarks and the such. That was how Kayi learned that he had the biggest crush on Benecie.

Actually, there were _seven-and-a-quarter_ members of Clan Shakayi. The last quarter person spent most of her time unseen and silent, hovering aboveall the worlds, forever smiling and floating freely directly between the Ether and the mudane earth below. She half-appeared now, transparent like a fog, a sweetly smiling viera with the most doll-like, sweetly adorable face you could imagine.

"Hello Irisa," Kayi said. She pitied the viera, who was forever not older than herself for quite a few millenia already. All Kayi knew was that Irisa was a spirit from the beginning of Ivalice and was killed so her body could be used by a necromancer. But her spirit remained, not out of revenge, nor anger or rage. Kayi couldn't imagine the spirit angry or malevolent. But anyways, the spirit was forever between the Ether and the earthen Ivalice,untouchable, almost always unseeable.

Irisa lifted her head in a laugh and disappeared back into the space between Ivalice and the Ether.

"Well, so Kayi, who did you come with again?" Kayalie asked and motioned for the clan to sit down somewhere.

Kayi nodded. She would wait, wait until everyone had emerged from the trees.


	35. Let's move on!

Layla emerged from the trees first, her sword and bow out in front of her cautiously. Marie exploded out next, then Carlos,Layfette, Lief, and Bruno. Dasmon was helping Starkin cross over the difficult terrain.

"Starkin? Bruno?" Kayalie asked in disbelief.

Everyone nodded.

"Why?"

"Because!" Bruno bellowed, marching up to the surprised viera and snatching the bow straight out of her hands, ignoring her protest.

Kayi sighed. This would be a long story.

----------------------

Two hours later, everyone was enraptured in the story, which they took turns telling. Kayi finally ended it with...

"Yeah. And now we're here."

Kayalie was staring hard at first Kayi and Carlos, then the aged members, and the newer members.

"Bruno, Starkin, I didn't have any idea that you were part of a clan once!" she exclaimed. "You never told me?"

Starkin snorted, a hint of flame flickering and dying. "Well, there wasss no point in doing ssso."

Kayi nodded. "Anyways, how are you doing?"

Lizzo punched the air. "Woot! We're on our way to the secret place!"

"That's great!" Kayi exclaimed, hugging her sister.

Kayalie grinned. "Why don't you come to cheer us on? No one minds, right?"

Kain suddenly perked up. "You knew my grandfather?"

Starkin snorted. "You mean old Zhiraz the idiot flirt? Sure, we knew the guy, more well that we would have liked to." But he seemed to have a fondness for his old friend.

"So, Clan Crystal Bane, we finally meet," Benecie commented, grinning.

"Okay, so where are you headed?" Layla asked.

Kayalie shrugged. "We're just using the map. The cards'll guide us."

It turned out that the cards, when all put together, formed a magical compass. They had been following that compass, and the pull was getting weaker, meaning that they were almost there.

"We're coming too, right?" Kayi asked. "I mean, we can just sit back and cheer..."

Kayalie looked thoughtful under the hat and the veil. "I suppose... Benecie, will you be there for backup, just in case my sister can't get in?"

TheFencer smiled. "No problem, hon. I'll make sure, but only if they're boys."

Kayi shivered but said nothing.

"Let's get on our way, then. Everyone! Move out!" Kayalie yelled and punched the air. The clan cheered and followed her.


	36. A Greatbow

Kayalie suddenly stopped and cursed.

"What's wrong?" Benecie asked, frowning daintily.

Kayalie shook the compass cards again. "They've stopped."

"Whaddaya mean they quit on us?" Lizzo demanded. He marched up to her and grabbed the stack of cards out of her hands and shook it as hard as possible. "What? They did stop pulling!"

A few seconds later, the whole clan was clustered around Kayalie.

"Well," Tifone suddenly said. "If it pulls less the closer we are, and it stops completely, it means that we're here."

Everyone stopped arguing.

"We're... Here? But where's _here_ exactly?" Hopper asked. "I mean, I think we were ripped off..."

"No, you weren't," a voice said. Ahumanappeared out of nowhere.

"I'm the head of the Clan Trek. You and Clan Borzoi were the only ones to get here so far. But who are those..?"

"They're just here to watch," Kayalie explained.

The paladin shook his head. "Sorry, no spectators."

Kayalie motioned for Benecie to do her 'business' or whatever.

The Fencer pressed the man close to her and whispered a few things, ending in "So please?"

The man was blushing. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt..."

"Okay!" Benecie nodded and turned back to them. "You guys can watch, if only you don't affect anyone's fighting. No advice, norandom arrows."

"There's only one problem," Kayalie said sadly. "I don't have a bow."

Everyone was silent until Layla spoke up. She shrugged the Greatbow off her shoulder, the ornate metal and wood glinting in the dark light.

"You can use _my_ bow. But if it's scratched, little girl, you are dead."

Kayalie's eyes lit up asthe Sniper ran her hands over the rare exquisite bow. "Wow! Madam...This isn't just an ordinary..." Her voice trailed off as she nearly screamed in surprise and delight at seeing the bow. "It's the Moon Blood Bow!"

Layla nodded. "Yes, it is. It's been my best friend since I was born. It's not fragile at all, but you can break it, so be careful. Fire something to test it."

Kayalie nodded, her hands shaking. Kayi could see her sister's eyes light up as she notched an arrow.

"Hit the knothole over there,"someone said.

Kayi quinted. _What knothole?_ But Kayalie nodded and aimed for a mere second and let the arrow fly. There was a loud cracking noise as Kayi ran over to investigate. The arrow was completely buried in a knothole of the tree- either the bow was expecially wonderful or Kayalie had improved greatly- no one had ever shot that well.

"Just be careful. Even I can't use it's true power all the time." Layla petted the bow. "Be a good girl for Kayalie, okay?"

Kayalie gaped as Kayi told her about the arrow. "But I thought that the bow can only be weilded by a descendent of the Moon Tribe-"

"What's a Moon Tribe? A tribe on the moon?" Kayi asked.

"No, Kayi, it's not," Kain said in a matter-of-factly manner. "To tell you the truth, all I know that they were a tribe of viera in the ancient times."

"Actually," Tifone said. "It's just a myth. They were never real, just a flower of people's desires."

"Well," the man said. "There are a few more days before the compasses are all here. I suggest that you train and practice and rest." He wrinkled his nose. "You guys reek!"

Kayalie nodded. "Took you a while to notice. Is there anywhere we can bathe?"  
----------------------------------------------------------

Is Tifone right? Was the Moon Tribe only a mere myth?And if the legend is true, what does it tell you about Kayi's family?


	37. Oh my Holy Coo!

Layla was helping Kayalie shoot, repositioning the younger viera's hands or lifting the bow a bit more.

"Aren't you going to take a bath? He showed you the stream," Kayi said, watching the arrow fly true again.

Kayalie nodded but said nothing.

"Kayalie, I believe that you _should_ take a bath. No offense, but you kind of smell funny," Layla said.

Kayalie nodded. "Er, I guess. Hey, where's Lizzo?"

"Last I saw, he was being chased by Benecie."

"Why?"

"Well, seems like Lizzo was peeking while Benecie was bathing. Something I've learned is that you don't mess with Fencers."

"Well, okay. I guess I'll go take a bath, while Lizzo's occupied."

Layla looked over her shoulder at the sound a a few heavy thwaks. "Whoops, not anymore. Benecie caught him and is beating the wits out of the guy. Er, should I go help him?"

Kayalie shook her head. "Nope. He's gotta learn his lesson, which he missed at least a hundred times already."

"I'll go take a bath too," Kayi said, beginning to walk towards the spring. When she reached in, she leaped foward, diving like a fish into the clear, bubbling water.

"Brr!" Kayi bobbed up to the surface, the headpiece undoing itself.

"You haven't changed, have you?" Kayalie asked, diving in fully-clothed. "Or have you learned something from watching Lizzo?"

"Actually, yep, I guess." Kayi treaded water. "Well,can I ask you something?"

"Sure, I mean, you're my sis."

"It's about Kain."

"Kain? What about him?"

"Who is he exactly? And where did he come from?"

"Oh, we don't know. His grandfather was a legendary Hunter, and his mother was an elite Summoner, and his father, I think was an indirect descendent of Kain, er, I mean Kain the bangaa Dragoon."

"Oh."

--------------------------

"So you're the clan?" a voice asked. Kayi and Kayalie were coming out of the spring, dripping wet. The Sniper hat was badly deformed too.

"Huh?" Kayi turned around and saw the prettiest viera she had ever seen.

ARed Mage was standing behind her, hat had in her delicate hands. Her face looked like something that the bards sprained her hands and broke their harp strings over.

"Um... Well, my sister here is Kayalie of Clan Shakayi," Kayi offered.

"Oh. I see... Hmm." The pretty viera ran her hand delicately across the suface of the water like a tan, slender swan. "Well... My name's Callypso. I came with..."

"You part of Clan Borzoi?" Kayi asked.

"Well, yes. And you?"

"Well, I just came to watch my sister."

"I'm Kayalie," Kayalie butted in.

"Mhhmm, it's been very nice meeting you two sisters." Callypso turned softly glowing eyes onto them. "I certainly hope that I will not have to meet either of you in an engagemen, although that is... Mostly inevitable we shall meet again." With that, Callypso got up and left.

"Do you think we will?" Kayalie suddenly said.

"Will what?"

"Do you think we'll have to fight her?"

"Well, we're on opposing sides," Kayi said. "So I guess."

"Let's get back."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, I admit- this chapter was put on a major Haste mode. If you read Things are Different Now, Callypso is the queen, who was probably forced into marriage 'cause she's so pretty. But she's also a powerful mage... Well, not yet in this story, but still... AndShas'la Kais- I thought you forgot all about this story! Really nice to have you back. There are about four short chapters left, making about two regular ones. But I'm going to write a sequal after this one's finished. Take care, and happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day tomorrow!

-MakoStreak- I made vegan chocolate cake with my mom! Turned out really wonderful!


	38. Does anyone even read the chapter titles...

A/N: Well, I considered the idea of homosexual pairings. But I want this to be as light and carefree and uncontriversial a fic as I can make it... But thing is, I'm not going to state my opinion. I'm not going to put in homosexual pairings because I want this to be uncontriversial, not because I'm against honmosexuality. Thing is, I want no one to feel like their beliefs are violated. You can't please everyone, so I'm not going to try to please every single person, but let's take my silence as my opinion.

----------------------------------------------------------

Bruno was in a state of panic, running around the room, throwing his potions everywhere and shouting in a foreign language.

"KAYI, YOU GET HERE, OR MORGANA'S GOING TO HEAR ABOUT THIS!" the old Alchemist bellowed.

"Huh? I didn't do anything!" Kayi exclaimed.

Clan Nutsy was at the end of the Trek too. Disgust was written all over Eponine's face, and Sandath was puffing out his chest and basically looking like he was going to wring someone's neck. The Clan Leader, Marche was screaming and yelling too.

"Oh no, not you guys again," Kayalie moaned.

"Yes, it's lover-boy again," Eponine snarled, her face flushed.

"Kayi!" Bruno was really ticked off. "I researched the potion, using subject Blondie as a control. Well, guess what?"

"You found the antidote?" Kayi said hopefully.

"GUESS WHAT?" Bruno bellowed. "GUESS WHAT?!?! The potion's PERMANTENT!"

Silence.

"What? What do you mean it's permanent?" Eponine demanded.

"Actually, just sit down. I'll explain about it."

"I was going to make a love-potion, something that would make me famous for eternity. So I asked for the help of a clan."

"That was us, and that was Victor," Marche said.

"So,I finally finished it and annouced that my love potion was done. But Kayi here-" a hand waved and Kayi flushed, "made Love Arrows! Like Cupid!"

"And I woek up too late and rushed and took the Love Bow instead of my regular bow," Kayalie ended.

But Bruno wasn't finished. "Well, it's not exactly a love potion, since it needs to be adminsitered orally, preferrably in achoholic beverages. But all it does is... Well, let's put it this way. You'd have to know the person to make it work, because all it does is make you overly aware of your relationship with that person. It was only meant to work for divorced couples and those that had been together before. If you have no love for that person, that it won't work."

More silence greeted that revealation.

"ADULTRY!" Sandath yelled.

Eponine shook her head. "Marche, now you know, you only love me because of the potion. But let's not let this get in the way of the clan, okay?"

Marche shook his head and grinned foolishly. "Either way, Eponine, you're still the loveliest-"

"Oh shut up!" Eponine snapped back.

"The final tournament starts in two days," the man announced. "I suggest that you can get to know each other and practice."


	39. If you read the chapter titles, leave a ...

Layla was helping Kayalie shooting with the super-bow now.Bruno had taken out the time-note from his younger self and was reading it and sighing. Dasmon and Starkin was dueling, but then the young Warrior from Clan Nutsy yelled something and Dasmon walked over and began inspecting the sword and bending it back into position. Marie and Layfette were giggling over something, and Carlos and Lief were talking.

"Hey, Starkin?" Kayi reached up and tapped his shoulder, avoiding the scarred part and the part that the chunk was missing out of.

"Hmm? Oh, it's just you, Cricket," he commented, smiling lightly.

"Do you miss being young, Starkin?" Kayi asked.

Starkin breathed out a bit of fire. "I knew it would happen to me sssomeday, but now that it'sss happened... Ah, youth is wasted on the young. Cherish the timess when you don't have to worry about dying."

"Do you still love Layla?" Kayi asked.

Starkin braethed out deeply again, this time with ice instead. "You were young and confident. I'm not a handsome Dragoon-knight anymore, Kayi."

Kayi was persistant, though. "Starkin, looks don't matter, I mean..."

"I'm one old bangaa now, Kayi. Too young for romanssing and the sssuch. Ah, there wasss a time in the passst..."

Kayi listened that Starkin related to her one of his missions to go hunt down a murderer, which ended with an all-out duel in the Jadgs.

"But have you guys ever been in a Jadg battle?" Kayi asked.

Starkin wheezed and nodded. "Of courssse! Many timesss we taunted death!" He then began rattling on about one of the engagements in the Jagds, but revealed to her a suprising resolution-

"We let 'em all live. Just a bunch of young'uns, except for a viera, who had five kids back home."

Kayi pretended to listen as Starkin began to tell another tale, this time about the biggest dragon that they had encountered.

"And then, when we thought that she was about to die-"

"But you told us that she was a he before!" a voice exclaimed.

"Huh?" Kayi turned to see the pretty viera, Callypso, from before. Her expression was amused, and Callypso was leaning on a young man.

"You told us that it was a he," the young man said in a matter-of-factly tone.

Starkin huffed. "Well, I wasss tesssting you. Ssso then, we thought she wasss dead, when he suddenly started flapping his huge wingsss, and thossse weren't ordinary wingsss either..."

The couple behind her was listening with rapt attention.

"And then, Sssirasss just shot a Capture, head-on, and netted him right then and there!"

"Where is the Wyrm now?" Callypso asked.

Starkin looked into the distance. "Used to be the sssweetesst little Wyrm anyone could set eyesss upon. Died ages ago."

"That's sad," Kayi said.

Irisa's presence hovered above the cavern, unseen and intangible.


	40. I'm too lazy to think of a chapter title

_Kayi was dressed in the fancy gown that she had been forced to wear during the Queen's birthday. Lady Morgana was wearing a version of the dress tailored for an older body. Kayi's six-year-old eyes lighted on the queen. _

_"Kayi, say hello and thank you for inviting me," Morgana coaxed. But Kayi merely nibbled strands of her hair and looked up with big eyes. _

_"Kayi..." Morgana warned. Kayalie, next to her, curtsied charmingly and smiled. _

_"Thank you ever so much, Queen Remedi, for inviting me and happy birthday," Kayalie had said sweetly. The queen laughed and smiled. _

_"Thank you for coming, Kaya... Kaya..."_

_"Kayalie, Madam," Kayalie said and curtsied again. _

_"Kayi... What do you say?" Morgana said. "Kayi..."_

_"Your son is really weird," Kayi stated. _

_Morgana flushed and started saying things very fast to the embarrased queen and her quiet son. Finally, her mother turned to her, face flushed in anger. _

_"Kayi, come with me. I believe that we need to talk over what you've jsut said," Morgana said angrily. _

_Kayi had not known what she said was hurtful and angry. All she knew was that the Prince refused to play with her on any of their meetings and refused to play with her dolls. Kayi, not knowing what she said, only that Momma was not happy with her statement, followed angry Morgana to the end of the room to recieve whatever she had asked for. There were people dancing too, there always were. But one couple caught her attention, a young viera dancing gracefully on the air with a Dragoon. They turned around, and Kayi saw Layla's old face on her young body, but then she turned to her younger, beautiful self. _

_"Kayi, Kayi, Kayi, why are you always getting yourself into everything?" young Layla scolded. _

_Starkin looked over. His expression was unreadable under the Dragoon helmet. "Cricket, remember the Love Arrowsss? That was over twenty yearsss ago." There was, Kayi noticed with gruesome shock, there was a hole gorged straight through Layla's chest. _

_"Yes, that was over twenty years ago... You were such a naughty little viera, weren't you," Layla scolded, smiling. _

_Kayi ran. Morgana wasn't Morgana anymore_. _Her mother was a much older version of herself, hovering above the ground.Queen Remedi no longer saton the throne, and Mewt, the strange boy, wasn't standing there anymore, instead, there was a strange pink-haired woman and the lover-kid from Clan Nutty. _

_"Kayi, it's about time you got here," a voice said. Clan Nutsy was sitting near the throne, chatting. "Kayi! Did you hear me?"_

_An older version of Kayalie was standing in front of her, impatient. "You're so wrapped up with your clan you didn't ever visit your older sissy in years!" Kayalie exclaimed, throwing her arms around Kayi. Kayi observed with a start, that her sister was pregnant. _

_"Kayalie, you got a husband?" Kayi demanded. This was too weird. _

_"Oh don't tell me you forgot the wedding already. Mother misses you so, and you haven't been with us in years!" _

_"But why didn't Starkin tell me to come home, I mean.. And what happened to Bruno, and Layla, and Dasmon... And where's father?" Kayi began to say._

_Kayalie looked confused. "But Kayi! Mother, Father, Layla, and Bruno died years ago!"_

_"Kayi, Kayi, Kayi, Kayi..." The room chorused with the chanting. "Kayi, Kayi, Kayi..."_

--------------

Kayi woke with a start.

"KAYIKAYIKAYIKAYI! GET UP!" Kayalie bellowed into her ears.

"Wh-What? Where's mother? Why didn't you tell me they died?" Kayi demanded, tears forming.

Kayalie looked confused. Everything was back to normal! "You just had a nightmare, Kayi. Now, Kayi... Guess what? THE ARROWS ARE MISSING!"

"What?" Kayi sat up.

"The arrows are missing, and so is Hopper!" Kayalie cried.

"What?"

"Come on!Kain and Dasmon on tracking him, or trying to."

Irisa suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Huh? Irisa! Were?"

The viera spirit nodded and motioned for them to follow. She flew out of the cavern.


	41. Make up a chapter title for me, will ya?

As they followed the little spirit out of the cavern, they picked up interested clanners-Callypso and her boyfriend, Monte the White Monk and Mulgio the Warrior, members of the newest clan, which were a Ninja anda Summoner, and Bruno.

Irisa, to her credit, was amazingly fast, plus she could zip through solid walls. This, as wonderful as it was, was a nuisence for Kayalie, who kept on reminding her that although _she_ was a spirit, they were not, and kept on having to call the little viera back.

Finally, at midday, Irisa hovered in the sky and vanished. They had arrived in Muscadet.

"Irisa thinks that Hopper's shooting people around here," Kayalie said. "Are you guys gonna help?" she demanded.

"Er, I guess."

"Well, look for a naughty little Thief with a bow and arrow-"

"No, look for a naughty-looking Archer that's terrible with an awkward-looking bow and probably seems like a Thief," Kayalie interrupted.

Kain and Dasmon pushed through. "We can track him down, but we'll need to corner him, or he'll get away."

"Oh," Kayalie said softly. "Hopper's in boiling water now."

--------------------

Lila was angrily scooping frozen treats out to little children. _Curse that Larry!_ she thought angrily. Angry, angry, outraged at the clan leader! He specifically knew that she hated domestic work and preferred to go on mission concerning bandits and monsters.

"Cheer up, ol' pal," her twin Lilly said. The Elementalist smiled at a group of toddlers and their mother, who Lila reconized from an engagement. "Can't be that bad, I mean the little guys are adorable!"

The Assassin scowled. She knew that she must look hilarious in her Assassin uniform and the "Icy Bakery" apron, which was blotched all over with ice cream stains. The sword hung unused at her waist. Actually, not completely unused. Occasionally there had been some pretty frozen solid desert that didn't come out with even Lilly's strongest Fire Whip.

"Hey!" Lilly exclaimed. "What are _they_ doing?" The Elementalist waved a huge metal spoon at a group of creatures.

An old Defender sniffed at the ground like a dog, followed by a young spear-wielding human. There was a motley assortmant of clanners following behind, probably mixes from at least three different clans.

"What are they _doing?_" Lilly asked again.

Dasmon knew that he looked silly sniffing out Hopper's trail like a Panther. But it was necessary, and years of dispatch missions accustomed him to doing the strangest things.

"Well?" Kayalie asked for the hundreth time.

"Hoolth oonth," Dasmon muttered from the ground.

...A hour later....

Chaos reigned.People were falling in love with each other at the rate of two couples per five minutes.

"Hopper is so dead!" Kayalie exclaimed.

...Another hour...

Dasmon took his nose off the ground and spit out dirt. "Blug! I lost the scent!"

"Oh no..." Kayalie lamented.

"But Hopper's gonna be back before the two days are up. Sorry, Kayalie," Bruno said, "but there's nothing else we can do."


	42. Chapter title is obscure

They got back to a big surprise.

"Hopper!" Kayalie exclaimed. The thief was just sitting there, grinning.

"You found me!" he exclaimed happily. "I backtracked and got here before you even noticed my trail went cold."

Dasmon cursed and sent a tremor to knock the Thief off his bottom.

"You mean..." he hissed. "You mean I sspent all that time there with my face in the dirt... For nothing?" The Defender was clearly ticked off.

"Hopper, who did you shoot?" Kayalie demanded, walking up straight to the naughty Thief and lifting him up by the collar.

Hopper grinned. "Benecie and Lizzo, random viera and human and bangaa and nu mou and moog-"

"Get to the point!"

"Everyone I saw." Hopper wasn't oblivious to the danger he was in, but he sure played like it. "I made the world a more loving place, clan leader!"

Kayalie scowled. "I know the perfect punishment too."

----------------------------------

"I can't fight like this!" Hopper cried, moping.

Kayi couldn't help but laugh.

"He looks, kupo, like a chocobo dipped in batter and sitrfried in an insane asylym!" Carlos exclaimed.

Indeed the new costume did make him look like one. Instead of the Thief bandana, Hopper now wore a Summoner Headress. And, instead of the Thief costume, he worethe top of Layla's old Fencer top (complete with the metal breast guard) over an Elementalist's dress. But the finishing touch, courtesy of Dasmon, were a pair of Warrior arm guards. Indeed, the Thief looked ridiculous.

"Hmm, I can see that the Fencer uniform has changed since forty years ago, but it'll do, I suppose," Layla commented.

Everyone laughed.

Hopper moped and swore.

-------------------------------------

"No, Kayi, your sword's still not straight," he said. Kayi adjusted her sword.

"How's this? Okay?"

Ironically, Kayi didn't even know her new teacher, only that he was Callypso's boyfriend and was excellent at the sword.

"Kayi, if your opponent thrusts, he or she or even it, and you parry, you could break your arm." He adjusted the awkward grip. "There! All better!"

Kayi thrust again, only to be waved aside casually.

Callypso appeared out of nowhere. Even now, Kayi felt a sense of awe at the older viera. Not only because she was the loveliest creature Kayi had ever seen, Kayi didn't even know half the extent of her poweress. And she had only seen Callypso's ease with magic once when Lizzo decided to try flirting with her. Without even a physical movement, Callypso only shifted and Lizzo began to do a sort of a funny self-mutilating dance involving thumping your head against walls and hitting yourself.

"Kayi, if you ever want to hit him... Here, may I?" Callypso took Kayi's place dueling her boyfriend.

The rapier buzzed like a mad insect. Callypso's boyfriend deflected most of the blows until Callypso decided that it was time to end the mock battle.

The Red Mage flipped the slender rapier 360 degrees, holding it by the blade. The hilt whizzed like a mad insect.

"Hiyaaa!" Callypso exclaimed, sending the hilt to jarr between her boyfriend's legs. He fell to the ground and curled into a ball.

Callypso smiled naughtily. "See, Kayi? That's how you do it."

Kayi didn't suppress her grin. "That was really funny!"

The older Red Mage feigned wistfullness. "Too bad he won't be as fun in bed tonight. Well, see ya later, I suppose," Callypso dragged her boyfriend away. "Come on, Gukku, get up."

"Hey, doesn't his name seem familiar?" Kayi muttered.

--------------------------------------------

"Heya Carlos!" Kayi flopped down beside the moogle.

"Oh, hi Kayi!" Carlos said, grinning cheekily. "Whatcha been doin'?"

"Oh not much. Can you believe that the final battles are almost on? And there're like... Seven clans already!"

Carlos looked out at the newcoming clans. A fewKayireconized. "Hmm... Brass Dragoons, Clan Dip... Clan Catz... Oh! Look, Carlos! Clan Shalo?"

Carlos smirked.

"What?" Kayi demanded.

"Kayi and Parish, sittin' in a tree-"

"Shut up, will ya? The guy's twice my age!"

"Well," Carlos said, recoiling to Kayi's punch, "You seem to be an awful lot fond of the guy, kupo!"

Kayi tossed her head."To tell you-"

"Hopp-" There was a soft thump.

"Hopper! What did you do to Benecie?" Lizzo's concerned voice.

"Well, I shot-"

"Lizzo!" Benecie's voice.

Kayi emerged to see Benecie's happiest face.

"Wanna go somewhere?"the Fencer asked, fluttering her eyelids.

Lizzo flushed. "Well, sure, I guess.."

"Well, I can say that finally Hopper did something right," Kayi admitted.

Carlos only laughed.

-----------------------

I finished my US history exam! And on Monday, I have two exams with only a break for lunch and Orchestra! And thanks for reading. If you'll stick around, the story's gonna end soon. Then, I'll be working on the sequel triology.


	43. The Battles began!

The spokesperson of the Clan Trek, of Monquelas he was called, readied a sword.He had attempted earlier to hold the ribbon up at the same time, but when he picked up the sword in his right hand, the left side drooped, and vise-versa. So in the end, Bruno held on to one end (no pun intended) and Peter on the other.

Kayi allowed herself a last sweep of the situation.

Kayalie and her clan were perched, high-strung and the tension in the air a suffocating spell of anxiety, on the opposite side of the Clan Dip.

"Three! TWO O-"

"HOLD ON!" the human Soldier on Clan Dip, Maverick, yelled, waving his arms in the air.

"What is it now?" Monquel asked suspiciously.

Maverickscowled. "Raveenaneeds to tie her laces," he snapped, motioning towards theArcher.

The viera looked up and grinned. "I'm good."

Monquel sucked in a deep breath."THREE! TWO! O-"

"WAIT!" Kayalie jumped out of the battlefield and ran to Layla. "Is this normal?" she asked, holding the Greatbow up. It was vibrating, thrumming ever so slightly. "Is it magicked?"

Layla shook her head and moaned. She grasped the bow firmly and began to chant.

Or rather yell at the Greatbow.

"Dolt! Come on, you maggot-infested lump of charcoal! I told you to be good, but _no!_ You just _had_ to start acting up!" Layla pounded the deep wood against her knee, the pale silver ornaments at the edges of the bow slicing through the air. _Thump. Thump. Thump_. The bow leaped out of her hands. Layla swore and kicked it. "Sheshouldn't act up now."

Kayalie nodded brightly and raced back to her position.

Monquel didn't give a chance for any more interruptions. "THREETWOONEGO!"

The engagement was on.

1-newchapt--------------1

Lizzo leaped into the fury of the battle, locking swords with Maverick. Despite his opponent's Soldier status, Sabatini easily wrenched the blade aside and struck out. But he suddenly stopped and fell backwards onto the White Mage, Rachel, as an arrow stuck out of his chest.

Kayalie cocked her head and notched another arrow.

All of a sudden, Ifrit appeared out of the sky in a blazing collumn of fiery fury.Raising his giant fist, he pummeled the opponents with fire and disappeared into the Ether.

Scorched and burned, Maverick groaned and nearly collapsed, his breathing rapid and shallow.

As a spear repeatedly jabbed her guts, Rachel murmured a last Cure on Maverick before sighing and collapsing, where she twitched once, twice, three times and lay still.

"KO verified, Judge Point awarded," the Judge annouced, raising his hand with a whistle.

Kain looked proud, but that turned to shock and panic as Maverick began pummelling him with blows, oblivious to his own injuries inflicted by a spear.

Finally, the spear-wielding human collapsed with a groan as Maverick nabbed a Judge Point.

But not for long- Madeen soared down and began to beat the wits out of him.

In the following few minutes, there was an all-compassing conflict of...

Who should get the JP, Madeen or Tifone.

Tifone argued that, being the Summoner and therefore the one actually hurt and tired in battle, she should get it. But Madeen, tired of being bossed around all the time,demanded a JP of his own. This finally ended with the Judgemaster being summoned, who slapped a JP into the Summon's face and everyone was happy. Both the Judgemaster and Madeen went away, the former very disturbed and the latter very happy and in a boastful mood, with brilliant flashes of light and all the other corny special effects.

Having disposed of Maverick and his girlfriend Rachel, Woolwort and Raveena hopped to the highest point, where they proceeded to knock out Tifone, Lizzo, and Benecie. But finally, Woolwort collapsed from Pedro's Flametongue, andIrisa scared the wits out of Raveena. Here's how it went:

Raveena prepared to deal a fatal blow to Kayalie when all of a sudden, Irisa suddenly appeared, transluctent and suspended in the air, and peered at her with giant eyes and said, "Coo!" Raveena, naturally, was terrified of ghosts ever since that fateful Hallow's Eve. She freaked, fell of the rock, and KO'd herself. Now, this lead to another conflict: Whether the viera Archer should recieve a JP for KO'ing herself.

In the end, the Judgemaster was summoned, Madeen just came for kicks and bought Shiva, Ramuh, Ifrit, Carbuncle, Levathian, Titan, Bahumet, and a host of other Summons. Raveena got her JP, and everyone went home happy.

"Victory to Clan Shakayi!" Moquel called.

909090909090909090909090

Kayi and Carlos watched the fights go by.

But they all gasped as Marche pulled his blade out of Kayalie, the last member standing.

"Victory to Clan Nutheads-"

"NUSTY!"

"Whatever."

Marche grinned foolishly at Eponine, who scowled.

Kayalie plopped down next to Kayi and Rachel.

"So... We lost."

Kayi patted her sister's back. "It's okay... I mean... It's only a tournament. There'll be much more."

Kayalie shook her head. "No! We're in Third Place- that's excellent considering that... We're only a beginning clan."

"So.. You're not angr-"

"Oh, not at all," Kayalie smiled. "I'm happy. Let's watch the last match, shall we?"

909090909090909090909090

The climax has only begun! Stick around please for the Finale at the end, and the Resolution! I'm nearly done. And I'm working on a sequal triology, which will not be... Quite as light-hearted as this.

MakoStreak


	44. The Battle continues

"The Final Match!" Monquel annouced, firing an arrow into the air.

All waited, the tensions as high-strung upon the air as a giant terrifying harp, for the arrow to land.

On the side farthest away from Kayi, Clan Nutsy waited, their eyes flickering with anxiety.

But on the opposite side of the battlefield-to-be, Clan Borzoi awaited the arrow's a-waited touchdown.

With a silently deafening crash, the arrow mutely kissed the ground.

The engagement was on!

A Thief who Kayi had learned was Thane was first to be struck. Naturally, he dodged, and Eponine's arrow hit Callypso instead on the hat.

Montblanc yelled something. Gukko looked up just into to embrace a full-out Blizzara full on the face.

Gukko screamed as the ice cut into him, and probably would have been injured if all of a sudden, a Paladin did a roll over to avoid more arrows and summoned forth a Nurse. A few rings of soft light, glittering softly, rained down upon the Paladin and those surrounding him.

"Thanks," the Fighter yelled. "Don't sing!"

The Paladin grumbled. "Whatever. So.. now what-"

"SHUT UP!" Callypso yelled.

Both closed their mouths.

And muttering a spell, the clan on the opposite side of the battlefield held a bracing stance, ready for any attack that came forward from Callypso outstretched hands...

But no attack came forward.

No, it came from underneath!

A huge energy blast issued forth from the earth beneath Clan Nutsy's feet.

Eponine, dragging Sandath behind her, leaped out of the way. Sandath just barely caught the heated fringes of the destruction spell.

Marche lept out, Monte and Muglio leapt out...

Victor and Montblanc fell to the ground. Montblanc had been KO'd completely, but muttering a healing spell, Victor regained his health in a holy aura of healing energy.

"Positions!" Gukko yelled, waving at his clan. "Come on!"

The White Monk squinted against the leftover light and crouched down, a small target ready to leap away or block hits.

The Black Mage next to the Paladin moved paces forward and gathered magical energy in his hands.

Everyone shifted into positions, subtle changes that would not make one bit of difference until the deciding move, the climax of the engagement...

And that climax, that deciding move, came sooner than anyone would have expected.


	45. Victory!

As said in the last chapter, the climax came much sooner than anyone expected. When the battle began to roar and thrash, a wild beast uncapable of being controlled nor sated, Montblanc and Victor of Clan Nutsy had given off JP. But so had Gallahan, the human Black Mage, and a moogle Time Mage. Strange, they had all been mages.

Marche looked up to see a shiny, golden Holy Blade soaring towards him. Looking up on it, he could do nothing... But try to duck away. It killed him instantly. Marche's "dead" body collapsed, burnt by Holiness.

Now, Sandath and Gukko were engaged in an all-out sword fight. For every swipe there was a block, for every parry there was a duck, and for every duck there was a hit.But Sandath was at a disadvantage- not only was Gukko older, he was taller too and probably, with all that armor, weighed more. And he had two swords.

Monte the White Monk was the last one standing on Clan Nutsy side. But the engagement took its toll on Clan Borzoi too- only Gukko, Callypso, and Raven were left standing. In a reckless charge, Gukko tripped over Hejaat and fell down, getting a mouthful of dirt. Raven tripped over Muglio and fell too.

Callypso cursed. "Stupid boys!" she muttered. But then her delicate hands lifted... A single ray of light spread and fired off at Monte, which he dodged...

But that ray of light split into multiple parts and began to assail the WhiteMonk.

Kayi saw every detail of Monte's stand, every burning light that glanced off his skin and all of those that burnt itself into him. Kayi saw. And Monte, an eternity later, fell down.

Monquel raised his hand. "Victory to Clan Borzoi."


	46. To all

Kayi watched the awards ceremony. First, Clan Shakayi, having placed third, was awarded Shrasmiryas, a magicked sword able of cutting through armor and barriers.

Clan Nutsy, placing second, was awarded Iespa, a staff capable of summoning an ancient summon, and a Shrasmiryas.

Clan Borzoi placed first.

Monquel appladed and awarded each clan member with a fitting weapon- for Gukko, there was a pair of silver swords emblazoned with ancient runes that shimmered faintly but flared into a brilliant incadescence as soon as he touched them- the legends Excaliber and Wolf Blade. For Callypso, there was Nyneve, a magical staff that Kayi wasn't sure what it bought. But what stood out most from all the awarded weapons to her was Bialiese's weapon- Tiamat. She fired an expiremental shot on it, but to everyone's surprise, the spirit of an ancient dragon-mother frolicked around it and blasted apart the tree it hit!

"The team has prepared a good meal for us now. Let us all drink the night away, except for me because I'm deathly afraid of grape wine, and we all depart our separate ways tomorrow!" Monquel called. He raised a glass of sparkling water. "To the clans!" he toasted, drawing a response from everyone.

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"So..." Kayi fingered her dinner, roast something that she assumed was chicken but bore a very, very close resemblence to the Floateye Bruno Firaga'ed one day, along with multiple side dishes. "We're forming a clan."

Assembled before the young viera were Layafette, Maria, Lief, and Carlos.

"This is one small clan," Maria observed.

"Well... I'm afraid that a name that includes Crystal Bane will make our elders all regretful and nostalgic. So... I was thinking of the name Braveheart?"

They all murmered their agreement, save for a small objection from Carlos-

"That's kinda a corny name, isn't it?"

"Corny name for corny moogle," Kayi retorted with a glare.

"To all of us, old or young or otherwise," Kayi toasted.

"To all of us, old or young or otherwise," everyone echoed. They clinked glasses, tilted their heads back in unision, and drank deeply.

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The bangaa-human hybrid stood, silhoutted against the light.

"Kain?"

"Hmm?"

Kayi was no stealthy talker. She didn't bother to butter the bread nor give a musical prelude like Morgana or Kayalie would have done, rather she took after her father with the directness- "Will you join my clan?"

Kain looked stunned. "Sorry, I'm already part of your sister's clan," he explained.

"You can quit."

-- Please. Mako is tired and sleepy. Insert a long eloquent speech of Kain explaining his duty to stay with Kayalie and Clan Shakayi.-->

"I understand," Kayi said softly. But the maelstrom within her did not cease.


	47. Kayi didn't understand yet

Kayi knew something was wrong with her. She wasn't in love with Kain anymore- she was in love with Hopper,a young Dragoon named Devenge, Maverick, Gukko, Samuel, Parish...

"KAYALIE! I'M GOING INSANE!" she confided to her sister.

Kayalie shook her head. "You're falling in love with all the boys?"

Kayi nodded unhappily. "I don know what-"

Kayalie patted her sister's back. "They're times when I wish we were human, Kayi. Us viera get hit twice as hard. "

Kayi didn't understand pew-ber-ty andattraction just yet.

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This chapter is a per-thingy for the sequal series. Kayi's growing up!


	48. A prank to end all pranks

"Tifone?" Kayi shook the slumbering Summoner. "_Tifone!_"

"MMmmmMMmmm... Mommy... Too early..." she murmured

Kayi sighed and picked up a large metal frying pan and drew a face on the black, burnt bottom.

"TIFONE! IFRIT!" Kayi screamed, waving the frying pan in front of her face.

Tifone shot out of her sleeping roll and scrambled for the staff-

"Hey! Ifrit's not here... You're not dead... I'm awake..." Tifone scowled. "Well, what is it this time?" the older viera demanded.

"I'm playing a last prank on Bruno and I need your help."

The fiesty summoner nearly burst open. "WHAT?" she fumed, rings of fire forming in the air around Kayi. "WHAT? YOU WOKE ME UP FOR A PRANK-"

"Nu-uh, this isn't just any prank. It's the prank to end all pranks!" Kayi said smugly.

The rings of fire disappeared, evaporating as if they never existed. "What prank?" Tifone asked curiously.

"You'll see."


	49. The Prank

"There!" Kayi finished up the last touches to the package.

It was an accutely funny thing, all wrapped up with the seams poking out like half-wings and the top of it knotted and bulgy.

But it would do.

"So... What do _I_ do?" Tifone asked, impatiently stomping her feet.

"Summon Carbuncle."

Tifone looked doubtful but complied, and in moments the peachy-colored fairy was hovering in the air sleepily, the delicate little paws wound around the handle of a coffee mug, whereupon was printed, "I'm Not A Morning Summon."

"Mmmm... Yes?" the creature muttered. "It's awful early... I need my coffee," Carbuncle added, taking a sip of the steamy liquid.

"Carbuncle, you remember an Alchemist named Bruno?" Kayi asked innocently.

Carbuncle glared. "Don't tell me you dragged me out of bed at 2:00 AM for a storytime engagement."

"No, we're playing a prank."

"Why do I care?" Carbuncle took another swig of the coffee.

"Bruno sat on you before. When Sonya summoned you for a Reflect, and all of a sudden, Bruno comes in and yells, 'I'm tired, where'd my chair go,' and he plops down on you and doesn't even notice...?"

The evil gleam in Carbuncle's eyes was enough a reply. "What do I need to do?" asked the out-for-revenge summon.

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Bruno snored. He snored a snore to end all snory snores in the world, even Dasmon in allergy season. He snored so hard that the little hair at the edge of his nostril was swooshed in, and whooshed out.

This didn't bother Carbuncle.

Because Carbuncle knew that Bruno wouldn't be snoring for much longer.

Carbuncle casted a reflect on Tifone, who, under the heaps of blankets and a mask, didn't look much like Tifone.

The mask was that of a carnival clown, one of those that haunted the carnivals every year in search of children to permanently scar for life.

"Go!" Kayi yelled, and dropped the bag on Bruno's head.

Bruno sat up with a loud wheeze as the bag thumped his head with a loud _plumph_ and burst open, spilling the contents of powdered dry leaves and , courtesy of Carbuncle, finely Reflected sand.

Tifone screeched and pocked her white-masked face over Bruno's head, prompting a scream louder than a Coerl's death roar. He waved his hands in a random spell- Frog, as predicted.

It bounced back, and...

Layla was first to awaken from all the screaming. The first thing she saw was a chocobo standing in Bruno's bedroll.

"Shoo!" she snapped at the yellow bird, "Shoo! Away!" she proceeded to chase Bruno-Chocobo around the cavern, effectively waking everyone up.

The whole spectacle was enough attention-attracting to allow Tifone and Kayi and Carbuncle to go back to their respective places... And sealing off the prank.


	50. The Medicine

By the time Layla had figured out that the chocobo _was_ Bruno, everyone was up and awake, even Monquel.

So began the remedies-herbs, spells, even an acupuncture. But nothing worked until...

"Hey!" Marche, the clan Nutsy leader, held up a strange item- it was a Maiden's Kiss stuffed full of Gyshl Greens. "This'll work... But how do we apply it?"

So then, everyone had stuffed their own Maiden's Kisses full of Greens and stuffing it into any place on Bruno-Chocobo's body they could find... And even trying to stuff Bruno in it. Until...

"Can we feed it to him?"Kayalie offered innocently.

Leroy, who was trying to stuff a packet of the remedy under Bruno's wing stopped, flushed, and stuffed it down the chocobo's throat instead. There was a blinding light, and...

Bruno sat dazed on the ground, his robe prickled and peppered by greens and Maiden's Kisses.

"Okay, let's get back to sleep, kupo," Montblanc said sleepily and collapsed onto the bedroll.


	51. Our Goodbyes

"Good bye, Clan Nutsy," Kayalie said, firmly grasping Marche's hand in her own two, shaking them both up and down. Both clan leaders bowed to each other, and so did the clans behind them.

"Good bye to you too," Marche echoed as they rose and went off with his clan to say their good-byes to Clan Borzoi.

"Kupo!" Carlos looked like he was about to explode. "Kupo! That whole thing was GREAT!" he yelled, waving his knife in the air.

"Careful with that," Kayi warned and turned to her sister. "I guess... No jealousy?"

Kayalie shook her head. "But this doesn't mean a stop to fights, or bickering," she joked.

Kayi laughed. Kayalie was no longer perfect Angel. Oh no, Kayalie had not regressed in Kayi's mind, nor had she fallen fro her super-viera status- but now, Kayi realized... She was a super-viera too.

Kayalie turned around to face Kayi's recent companions.

"Come with us?" she asked, extending a hand.

"I gotta ask permission from Mommie to join," Marie explained. "But I'll come."

"Obviously me and the Pickled Lizard-" Carlso dodged a swipe from Starkin's staff, "are coming back home."

The ex-Clan Crystal Bane muttered their acceptence through coughs an wheezes and occasional flame and ice and lightning gusts from Dasmon as the new members of Clan Braveheart came through with, "I'll come!"

Kayi and Kayalie were the last to leave.

"Well... Still sisters," Kayalie said, mock-punching her little sister's shoulder.

Kayi smiled. Everything had changed between the two...

For the better.


	52. Epilogue

Lady Morgana paced. The setting sun cast golden lights and reddish shadows over her smooth face. Lord Karkus was fidgeting and occasionally firing off an arrow.

"Momma!" a familiar voice called. "Momma!"

Kayi's form appeared over the hill, silhoutted by the sunset.

"Kayi! Where have you been?" Morgana raced out to meet her daughter. She did not bother to halt the flow of rain from her eyes. "Oh, I missed you so much... Where were you? Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Are yo-"

"Mom, I was in good hands," Kayi assured her.

Morgana scowled. "Starkin and Bruno are old. They can't protect you-"

"I had friends!"

Dasmon was first to climb up the knoll. "Ah, the little lady'sss parentsss," he commented, his eyes unreadable under the Defender mask. "Ssso we finally meet." He bowed and stumbled a bit.

"Who are you?"

"Old friend," Bruno explained, coming up the knoll.

Layfette and Maria raced up the hill at a mad sprint and skidded to a halt miliseconds before crashing into Karkus.

"Pleased to meet you sir!" they both chorused at once. Maria attempted to salute but swacked her friend's forehead as Layfette accidently elbowed her gut.

"Ow!"

Lief hopped up the hill merrily. "Hi!"

Finally, Starkin and Layla came last, with Layla helping Starkin up the knoll.

"You just happened to build the estate on a hill, eh?" Layla asked as they reached hearing distance.

Morgana shook her head. "Oh Kayi, Kayi... You have so much explaining to do..."

"So, it started when Kayalie rushed a bit to hastily..." Kayi began, but stopped and hugged her parents again.

"Let's go inside," Karkus suggested, but then looked around. "All of us. Just to make sure that it's pretty close to the real thing," he added.

"Sure thing," Kayi agreed and croaked like a frog and then warked like a chocobo.

Everyone laughed.

"Come inside now," Lady Morgana said, her arms around her two daughters' shoulders. "You two have a lot of explaining to do."

Everyone laughed again as the whole procession followed each other inside.

As soon as they were seated around the huge table in Karkus and Morgana's Audience Chamber, Kayi began.

"So, as I was saying... Kayalie was rushing in the morning..."

_The End_

* * *

So there you have it. A tale of a little viera growing up in one single adventure, right before your eyes. A story of how dreams that are long gone are still here... In bits and pieces scattered in the sky. I hope that you enjoyed this story, and please- leave a review. 

The path shades under the darkness from here. It speaks of a tale long in the waiting, a story shrouded in darkness, blood, and mysteries of the past. The path here along Arrow Hunt was a light, brisk one... The sequel triology speaks to one about... Not as light things.

But there will be another parrallell story about Kayalie and Kayi's two clans- that one is light.

But the main sequel triology is the Moon Triology... And it's not as innocent as that.

Look for:

The Moon Triology Book One: The Blood of the Moon.


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